Judge orders a two-day settlement conference in Fort Myers to resolve claims that detainees at the Everglades detention site known as "Alligator Alcatraz" lack adequate access to lawyers. The legal-access case is one of three federal suits targeting the facility, which was built this summer and has drawn $608 million in federal reimbursements. Detainees' attorneys say visits require three days' notice, transfers occur after appointments, and delays have caused missed legal deadlines; state officials argue the problems have been addressed and call the case moot.
Judge Orders Two-Day Settlement Conference Over Attorneys' Access at 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Judge orders a two-day settlement conference in Fort Myers to resolve claims that detainees at the Everglades detention site known as "Alligator Alcatraz" lack adequate access to lawyers. The legal-access case is one of three federal suits targeting the facility, which was built this summer and has drawn $608 million in federal reimbursements. Detainees' attorneys say visits require three days' notice, transfers occur after appointments, and delays have caused missed legal deadlines; state officials argue the problems have been addressed and call the case moot.
11:59 PM, 11/19/2025Politics
A federal judge in Florida has pressed parties to pursue a resolution in a lawsuit alleging detainees at a remote Everglades immigration facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" are not receiving adequate access to attorneys.
Judge sets firm deadlines
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell last Friday scheduled a two-day settlement conference next month in her Fort Myers courtroom and ordered that attorneys with full settlement authority attend. She also requested a status update at a hearing next Monday.
"The court will not entertain excuses regarding leaving early for flights or other meetings," the judge wrote regarding the upcoming conference.
Three separate legal challenges
The legal-access lawsuit is one of three federal cases challenging the center, which was constructed this summer on a remote airstrip in the Florida Everglades by the administration of Florida's governor. In an environmental challenge, a federal appeals panel in September paused a lower court's injunction that had ordered the facility to wind down by the end of October; that appeal paused during the recent government shutdown and has since resumed. A separate suit contends immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and argues that state agencies and private contractors lack authority to operate the facility.
Allegations and state response
Attorneys for detainees are seeking a preliminary injunction to ease restrictions they say prevent meaningful contact between detainees and counsel. The lawyers allege the facility requires attorneys to schedule visits three days in advance rather than allowing them to arrive during visiting hours; that detainees are sometimes transferred after appointments are set; and that scheduling delays have caused detainees to miss critical legal deadlines.
Florida officials have moved to dismiss the case, saying the issues raised by detainees and their lawyers have been addressed and that the dispute is therefore moot. Officials said any delays were attributable to building and staffing a new facility for thousands of people in a remote area with limited infrastructure.
Federal involvement and next steps
Although the facility was built and is operated by the state and private contractors, federal officials have approved reimbursing Florida for $608 million related to the site. The case will move forward with the settlement conference next month and a status update at the judge's upcoming hearing.
Source: Reporting by Mike Schneider.