The immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz has become the epicenter of a growing wave of legal complaints, led by human rights organizations and legal representatives accusing the Government of Donald Trump and the state authorities of Florida of violating the fundamental rights of the immigrants detained there.
The lack of effective access to legal advice has been the main trigger for one of the most noteworthy lawsuits, marking a milestone in the legal battle surrounding this controversial center.
Lawyers without access, migrants without defense
A lawsuit filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida and the organization Americans for Immigrant Justice claims that detainees in Alligator Alcatraz are facing not only inhuman conditions, but also are being denied their basic right to legal defense.
The plaintiffs, including firms such as Florida Keys Immigration and Sanctuary of the South, as well as several detained migrants, claim that access to their clients has been blocked, in-person visits have been restricted, secure phone calls have been limited, and the exchange of legal documents has been curtailed.
Additionally, they warn that they cannot even submit applications for parole under a confusing immigration system that does not clarify whether custody is state or federal.
"These restrictions violate the rights of detained individuals and legal service organizations", warns the legal document -cited by the agency EFE- which highlights the opacity of the process and the lack of minimum guarantees.
The Legality Under Question: Military Judges and Institutional Opacity
One of the most concerning elements is the attempt by the state of Florida to establish its own system of "immigration justice" within the center, with officials from the National Guard's Attorney General Corps trained to act as immigration judges.
Although this plan has not yet been formally implemented, it has raised alarm among due process advocates and constitutional rights experts.
As of today, some detainees have had hearings at the Krome Immigration Court, the closest to the facilities, but many lawyers continue to face obstacles in determining the jurisdiction of their cases.
The confusion persists: Are the migrants in the custody of the state or the federal government?
Inhumane conditions in the Everglades
This crisis of legal representation is compounded by the extreme conditions in which the hundreds of migrants detained at Alligator Alcatraz are living.
Testimonies collected by lawyers describe scorching temperatures, swarms of mosquitoes, lack of drinking water, spoiled food, and makeshift tents that easily flood.
The attorney Eunice Cho, from the ACLU National Prison Project, has been clear: "This center opens another dark chapter in the history of our nation. Its very existence is rooted in the lowest impulses of our country and highlights the danger of unchecked government authority when combined with unrestrained hatred."
According to court documents, the detainees have had to manually unclog toilets with their bare hands, suffer from inadequate food, and in many cases, have been denied the right to practice their religion.
An express infrastructure without environmental control
The center was built in just two weeks on an old runway within the Big Cypress National Preserve. The speed at which the facilities were constructed has raised environmental and legal concerns.
The organization Friends of the Everglades, along with the Center for Biological Diversity and Earthjustice, has filed a separate lawsuit challenging the construction without an environmental impact assessment.
The Miccosukee Tribe has also requested to join the lawsuit, claiming violations of territorial and environmental rights.
More ongoing lawsuits
In addition to the accusations regarding violations of detainees' rights and environmental issues, Alligator Alcatraz is facing a third lawsuit filed by five Democratic legislators from Florida.
Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, along with state representatives Anna Eskamani, Angie Nixon, and Michele Rayner, reported that they were unlawfully denied access to the facilities on July 3rd.
The state has argued that the center is not a correctional institution under the control of the Department of Corrections, and therefore is not subject to traditional legislative oversight.
The case is now in the hands of a court in Leon County.
What’s next for Alligator Alcatraz?
Despite the reports, deportations from the center have already begun, as confirmed by Governor Ron DeSantis and spokespeople from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as reported by local media.
However, neither the state nor the federal government has specified from which airport the flights depart, nor how many migrants have been sent out of the country.
Other migrants, including several Cubans, have been taken to Krome.
Currently, Alligator Alcatraz accommodates fewer than 1,000 individuals, but its projected capacity is 3,000 detainees.
DeSantis has announced that once the center is full, another similar facility will be built in Camp Blanding, also with its own runway to expedite deportations.
Meanwhile, civil and environmental rights organizations, as well as elected representatives, are gearing up for a prolonged legal battle.
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