Detainees held at Florida’s controversial immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” are suing the government for violating their constitutional rights.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Americans for Immigrant Justice, claims the state-run center violates the constitutional rights of those detained.
Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney with the ACLU National Prison Project and lead counsel in the case, said, “We brought this lawsuit in order to challenge the total lack of attorney client access at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility.”
According to the filing, more than 700 people are currently being held at the facility, which is located deep within the Everglades and surrounded by natural barriers, including swampland, mosquitoes, snakes, and alligators.
The lawsuit describes the detention center as temporary tents, trailers, and fenced enclosures topped with barbed wire. It was constructed earlier this summer under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ emergency order.
Cho highlighted that detainees are held in civil custody without criminal charges and deserve attorney access.
“This is a fundamental right, and I just have to say, people who are at Alligator Alcatraz have not been charged with any crime at all. They are in civil custody and being able to speak with counsel when you are held behind bars or in a cage, as is the example here, is a fundamental constitutional right,” Cho said.
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According to the lawsuit, detainees are being denied access to legal counsel and confidential communication. The complaint also cites unsanitary conditions, including a lack of clean water, broken toilets, and a total ban on visitation.
State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), who has been outspoken in her criticism of the facility, recently joined four other Florida lawmakers in filing a separate lawsuit against DeSantis, challenging the legality of the site’s construction on protected land.
In response to ongoing criticism, DeSantis defended the center, saying it was necessary for immigration enforcement.
“They’re trying to use the Everglades as a pretext just for the fact that they oppose immigration enforcement,” DeSantis said. “Let’s be clear — the far left doesn’t want the laws enforced at all.”
Despite mounting legal challenges, the facility remains operational. As of Thursday morning, the Trump administration has not issued a public response to the lawsuit or the allegations made.
The ACLU and other advocacy organizations say they plan to pursue federal court intervention to shut the facility down permanently.
When contacting ICE, News4JAX was referred to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. As of now, no response has been received.