Related Coverage: Desantis checks Wannial Cartaz ready for hurricane evacuation
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida federal and state officials must create an agreement that shows government agencies or private contractors who have legal authority to detain people at the Alligator Alcatraz, an Everglades immigration detention facility, or perform the role of immigration officers.
By Thursday, authorities must provide all written contracts and contracts that show those with legal custody for hundreds of detainees who were quickly constructed on isolated runways in the Everglades wilderness in South Florida more than a month ago, said District Judge Rodolfo Lewis, president of President Donald Trump.
Lewis’ order was part of an ongoing civil rights lawsuit against the state and federal government by immigration lawyers, as the constitutional rights of “Crocodile Alcatraz” detainees are prohibited from counsel meetings and are held without charge.
Having authority over detention centres has been a bleak issue since it opened in early July.
The federal government and Florida had asked to be limited to agreements between the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida State Guard and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The detainee’s lawyers requested documentation indicating who was responsible for the deletion procedure and requested information on the number of employees at “Crocodile Alcatraz,” but Lewis said those requests from the detainee’s lawyers were too broad.
The lawsuit is the second lawsuit to challenge “Crocodile Alcatraz.” Environmental groups are suing federal and state officials and calling for the project to be suspended because the process failed to comply with state and federal environmental laws. A hearing regarding the case is set for Wednesday.
Separately, the Archdiocese of Miami said it celebrated its first mass at the detention center on Saturday after several weeks of negotiations.
“We are pleased to have our request to provide idyllic care for detainees incarcerated,” Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wensky said in a statement.
___
Kate Payne of Tallahassee, Florida contributed to this report.
___
Social Platform Bluesky: Follow Mike Schneider on @mikeysid.bsky.social.
