Attorneys for detainees at the Everglades immigration facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" have asked U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to conduct an unscheduled, in-person inspection within two months to assess detainees' ability to meet privately and regularly with lawyers. The lawsuit alleges attorneys must book visits three days in advance, appointments are often thwarted by transfers, and delays have blocked meetings before critical legal deadlines. Florida officials oppose the inspection, citing authority and security concerns; the judge has not yet ruled. The case is one of three federal suits challenging operations and conditions at the site.
Attorneys Ask Judge To Inspect 'Alligator Alcatraz' To Determine If Detainees Can Meet With Counsel
FILE - Trucks come and go from the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Collier County, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
Attorneys for people held at an immigration detention site in the Florida Everglades — widely nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" — have asked a federal judge to make an unscheduled, in-person inspection of the facility to evaluate whether detainees have meaningful, confidential access to their lawyers.
In a filing on Friday, lawyers for the detainees asked U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to visit the remote airstrip site within two months. The facility was constructed this summer under the administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The plaintiffs' complaint alleges that attorneys must schedule visits three days in advance — unlike at many immigration centers where counsel can arrive during visiting hours — and that detainees are frequently transferred after appointments are set. The lawsuit says scheduling delays have at times prevented detainees from meeting their lawyers before critical legal deadlines.
"Federal courts routinely conduct site visits as a valid fact-finding tool, especially in cases involving conditions of confinement," the detainees' attorneys wrote in their request.
Attorneys for the state of Florida "strenuously" opposed the proposed inspection, arguing a federal judge lacks authority to inspect a state-run facility and that an on-site visit would present substantial security risks. State lawyers also told the court the visit would burden staff and significantly disrupt operations.
As of Monday, Judge Chappell had not ruled on the request. The judge, who sits in Fort Myers, previously ordered the parties — lawyers for detainees and for the state and federal government — to meet and attempt to resolve the dispute; after nine hours of talks, they were unable to reach an agreement.
Three Federal Lawsuits Target The Facility
The access-to-counsel case is one of three federal suits challenging practices at the Everglades detention center. Another lawsuit filed in Fort Myers contends that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and therefore Florida agencies and private contractors engaged by the state lack authority under federal law to operate the facility. A judge recently denied detainees' emergency request for a preliminary injunction to close the center.
In a separate Miami case last summer, a federal judge ordered the facility to wind down operations over two months because officials had not completed a required environmental-impact review. That order was temporarily stayed by an appellate court panel, allowing the center to remain open for the time being.
Conditions And Public Attention
Detainees have reported unsanitary conditions, including toilets that do not flush, floors flooded with fecal waste, and pervasive mosquitoes and other insects. The site has drawn national attention: Donald Trump visited the facility last summer and suggested it could serve as a model for future detention sites.
The attorneys' requested site visit would allow the judge to assess, firsthand, whether detainees are being afforded regular, private access to counsel — a central issue in the access-to-counsel lawsuit.
