Federal Judge Orders Improved Attorney Access at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center

Ruling requires state-run facility to provide timely, confidential legal calls and in-person visits for detainees.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 4:18am

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A federal judge has ordered a state-run immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, known as 'Alligator Alcatraz', to provide better access for detainees to communicate with their attorneys. The preliminary injunction requires the facility to offer timely, free, confidential, and unmonitored legal calls, as well as in-person visits without advance appointments.

Why it matters

The ruling addresses concerns raised by attorneys that their clients at the remote Everglades detention center have faced significant barriers in accessing legal counsel, including inability to make phone calls and difficulties scheduling visits. The judge found these restrictions may have violated detainees' First Amendment rights.

The details

The order from U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell requires Alligator Alcatraz to provide at least one working telephone for every 25 detainees, and to make information about accessing attorneys available in multiple languages. Previously, attorneys said their clients could not use staff cellphones to call them, and attorneys were unable to make unannounced visits.

  • The Everglades detention facility was built last summer by the DeSantis administration to support former President Trump's immigration policies.
  • The lawsuit from former detainees was filed in federal court in Fort Myers.

The players

U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell

The federal judge who issued the preliminary injunction ordering improved attorney access at the Alligator Alcatraz detention center.

Florida Department of Emergency Management

The state agency overseeing the Everglades detention facility.

Ron DeSantis

The Republican governor of Florida who authorized the construction of the Everglades detention center.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president whose immigration policies the Everglades facility was built to support.

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What’s next

The lawsuit from former detainees is ongoing, and the judge's order is a preliminary injunction that could be appealed by the state.

The takeaway

This case highlights ongoing concerns about access to legal counsel for immigrants detained in remote facilities, and the potential for such restrictions to violate detainees' constitutional rights. The ruling may set an important precedent for improving attorney-client communication at similar detention centers.