Lawyer Accuses Guards of Severe Beatings and Pepper-Spray at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center
A lawyer has alleged that guards at a state-run immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, infamously nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," severely beat and pepper-sprayed detainees earlier this month. The incident reportedly occurred after detainees complained about a lack of phone access, which is their primary means of communication with family and legal counsel.
Incident Details and Allegations of Violence
According to attorney Katherine Blankenship, who represents two detainees, the guards targeted her clients and others on April 2 following grievances over non-functional phones. In a court declaration, Blankenship described how guards initially taunted detainees in a cell before escalating to aggressive behavior, including yelling and threats to enter the cage.
The situation turned violent when one detainee approached a guard and was punched in the face. Guards then allegedly began beating other detainees in the cell. One of Blankenship's clients was punched in the right eye, thrown to the floor, and assaulted by multiple guards, resulting in kicks to the head and injuries to the shoulder and arm. A guard reportedly placed a knee on the detainee's neck during restraint, with a photo from a video call nearly a week later showing the detainee with a bruised eye.
Blankenship further stated that officers beat several individuals during the incident and broke another detainee's wrist, though that individual is not her client. Phone service was restored the following day without explanation for the outage.
Legal and Political Fallout
Blankenship's declaration was included in a court filing accusing state and federal officials of failing to comply with a federal judge's preliminary injunction. Last month, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell in Fort Myers, Florida, ordered detention center officials to provide access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored, and unrecorded outgoing legal calls. The judge mandated at least one operable telephone for every 25 detainees, responding to a lawsuit alleging violations of First Amendment rights.
State officials have denied restricting detainees' access to attorneys, citing security and staffing challenges, while federal defendants denied any First Amendment violations. The Florida Department of Emergency Management did not respond to inquiries about the incident.
Background on the Facility and Broader Context
The Everglades facility, built last summer at a remote airstrip by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis's administration to support former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, has faced criticism for its conditions. Florida has also constructed a second immigration detention center in north Florida.
During a visit last week, U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, described conditions as "inhumane" and "cruel and unnecessary," noting she was not allowed to speak with detainees. The allegations add to ongoing debates over detainee treatment and immigration enforcement in the state.
