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Detainees to testify about legal access at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’

On Wednesday, former detainees planned to testify at a two-day hearing in Fort Myers as civil rights attorneys sought a temporary injunction from U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to ensure equal attorney access at the Everglades facility.
Civil rights attorneys say visits require three-day appointments, transfers, and delays that prevent detainees from meeting attorneys before key deadlines, violating ICE requirements.
The remote, state-run site known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' was built last summer at a remote airstrip by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration, and the access case is one of three federal lawsuits including a wind-down order by a federal judge in Miami.
Federal officials argued no constitutional violation occurred, while state officials denied restricting access, citing security and staffing protocols; Juan Lopez Vega is expected to testify Wednesday after failing to quash a subpoena.
Earlier this month, a related suit ended after the immigrant detainee who filed it agreed to be removed, while an appellate court panel stayed a Miami federal judge's wind-down order.

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