A federal judge has ruled that officials at Florida's state-run immigration detention centre, known as 'Alligator Alcatraz', must improve access for lawyers representing detained immigrants. The order, issued on Friday by Judge Sheri Polster Chappell of the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, requires the facility to provide confidential, private, free and unmonitored outgoing legal phone calls for detainees. Attorneys are also now permitted to make unannounced visits, bypassing the previous requirement to schedule appointments three days in advance.
The detention centre, opened in summer 2025 by the state of Florida, has faced severe criticism over its treatment of detainees. A December report by Amnesty International described 'inhuman and unsanitary conditions', including overflowing toilets, limited access to showers, exposure to insects, constant lighting, and poor-quality food and water. The facility is run by private contractors hired by the state, not by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In July 2025, a coalition of civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Immigrant Justice, sued the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and other state agencies. They alleged that officials were blocking attorneys from visiting and providing legal help to detainees. According to the groups, as recently as February 2026, officials required three days' notice for legal visits, and detainees were often transferred just before scheduled meetings.
The judge's order also addressed complaints that outgoing calls were monitored and recorded. Court records cited one detainee who could not contact his lawyers and was told by officers to contact his family instead. The ruling mandates that facility officials publish policies allowing attorney visits and providing access to private legal phone calls.
Florida has been aggressively pursuing undocumented immigrants under a programme known as 287(g), which allows local law enforcement to arrest immigrants and hand them over to ICE. As of Saturday, 344 local agencies in Florida were coordinating with ICE under this programme, which has been accused of perpetuating civil rights abuses. The state spends over $1m a day to run 'Alligator Alcatraz', with promised federal reimbursement reportedly uncertain.
