Florida Faces Third Lawsuit Over ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Detention Center Authority

Florida’s controversial Everglades immigration detention center, widely dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ is now embroiled in a third major lawsuit, alleging that Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration fundamentally lacks the legal authority to operate the facility. Filed on Friday in a federal court, the suit contends that the state’s reliance on 287(g) agreements, typically designed for local police to assist in immigration enforcement, does not extend to state agencies or their contractors running full-scale detention centers.

Attorneys representing immigrants held at the facility argue that this alleged overreach has led to ‘unprecedented challenges’ for detainees, including being held without charge, denied bond determinations, and restricted access to legal counsel. The lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups, seeks a temporary restraining order to halt detentions and declare the state’s operations unlawful, further asserting that untrained private contractors are performing immigration functions in violation of federal law.

This latest legal challenge follows a federal judge’s ruling on Thursday, which sided with environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, ordering the state to begin winding down the facility within 60 days due to a lack of required environmental impact studies. Governor DeSantis, who has fiercely defended the state’s robust immigration policies, dismissed the judge’s decision, vowing to ‘get the job done.’ A separate ongoing lawsuit also questions the center’s inadequate access to legal representation for detainees.

The DeSantis administration’s ambitious immigrant-detention efforts, which include plans for a second facility in Baker County and significant federal funding, face escalating scrutiny as these legal battles intensify over the scope of state power in federal immigration matters.

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