Federal Judge Orders Alligator Alcatraz Detention Facility to Publish Attorney Visit Policies

Ruling requires facility to provide confidential legal phone calls for detainees in civil rights case.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 6:57pm

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A federal judge in Fort Myers has ordered the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility, run by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to publish its policy allowing attorneys to visit detainees without scheduling an appointment. The judge also ruled the facility must provide detainees with access to free, confidential, and unmonitored outgoing legal calls, with one operable phone for every 25 detainees.

Why it matters

The ruling addresses concerns raised in a civil rights lawsuit filed last summer by immigration attorneys and families, who argued that the lack of access to legal counsel at Alligator Alcatraz violated detainees' First Amendment rights. The judge's order aims to ensure detainees' basic constitutional rights are respected.

The details

Judge Sheri Polster Chappell ordered the Alligator Alcatraz facility to publish its policy allowing unscheduled legal visits, which officials testified had been in place since November but was not widely known. The judge also ruled the facility must provide detainees with access to free, confidential, and unmonitored outgoing legal calls, with one phone for every 25 detainees. Previously, detainees could only make outgoing calls on monitored phones in their sleeping areas, which were limited in number.

  • The civil rights lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz was filed by immigration attorneys and families last summer.
  • Officials testified in January that the policy allowing unscheduled legal visits had been in place since November.
  • Judge Sheri Polster Chappell issued her ruling on March 28, 2026.

The players

Judge Sheri Polster Chappell

A federal judge in Fort Myers who issued the ruling ordering changes at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility.

Florida Division of Emergency Management

The state agency that runs the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility.

Immigration attorneys and families

The plaintiffs who filed the civil rights lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz last summer, arguing the lack of access to legal counsel violated detainees' rights.

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What they’re saying

“Defendants may continue operating alligator Alcatraz, and ICE may continue to deport illegal aliens. But they must do so by respecting the most basic constitutional rights.”

— Judge Sheri Polster Chappell, Federal Judge

What’s next

The Alligator Alcatraz facility must now publish its updated attorney visit policies and provide the required confidential legal phone access for detainees within the timeline set by the judge's order.

The takeaway

This ruling is a victory for the civil rights of detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, ensuring they have access to legal counsel and can communicate confidentially with their attorneys. It highlights the importance of upholding constitutional protections, even in the context of immigration detention facilities.