A Leon County circuit judge has rejected a lawsuit filed by five Democratic lawmakers who sought access to the immigrant-detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” saying laws about access to state prisons and local jails do not apply to the Everglades facility. Judge Jonathan Sjostrom on Friday sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration in the lawsuit filed after lawmakers made an unannounced visit to the detention center in July but were denied access. The Democrats contended in the lawsuit the denial violated laws allowing access by legislators to correctional institutions.

More than 60 people gathered outside the Everglades detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz for their 21st freedom vigil. Organized by The Workers Circle, a Jewish social justice organization, the group prayed for those inside.

Attorneys for detainees at a Florida immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" want a federal judge to visit the facility. They argue this will help determine if detainees have sufficient access to legal counsel. On Friday, they asked U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to make the visit within two months. The facility, built this summer, requires attorneys to schedule visits three days in advance. State attorneys object, citing security risks and operational disruptions. As of Monday, the judge hadn't ruled on the request. This case is one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the detention center.

A report released Wednesday by Amnesty International alleges cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment at two immigration detention centers in Florida: The Everglades Detention Facility (“Alligator Alcatraz”) in eastern Collier County and the Krome North Service Processing Center ("Krome") in Miami.

A federal judge in Florida wants civil rights attorneys and lawyers for the U.S. and Florida to hammer out a settlement in a lawsuit over whether detainees at an immigration center in the Everglades are getting adequate access to attorneys. At a Monday status hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell set a conference for Dec. 16-17 in her Fort Myers courtroom. The lawsuit filed by detainees over legal access is one of three federal cases challenging practices at the immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." It was built this summer by the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Seven years ago, during the first administration of President Donald Trump, children were taken from their families the moment they crossed the border into the United States. Under a policy of zero tolerance for illegal crossing, Customs and Border Protection officers detained adults while children were sent into the federal shelter system. The aim: to deter other families from following. But after widespread public outcry and a lawsuit, the administration ended it. Today, family separations are back, only now they are happening all across the country.

Several dozen people were arrested Saturday at the Everglades detention facility in Miami-Dade County. Members of the Sunrise Movement organization, which promotes action on climate change issues, were protesting at the detention center on Saturday afternoon.

Free bus rides have been offered to out of town grocers after Immokalee lost its only full-service grocery store in October.

A federal judge in Florida is pushing for a resolution in a lawsuit over detainees' access to attorneys at an immigration detention center in the Everglades. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has ordered a two-day conference next month in her Fort Myers courtroom. The lawsuit challenges whether detainees at "Alligator Alcatraz" are getting adequate legal access. Attorneys for the detainees are seeking a preliminary injunction to improve communication with their clients. They claim current practices make it difficult to meet before key deadlines. This case is one of three federal lawsuits challenging practices at the facility.

Alex Rodriguez Silva moved into his family’s dream home in Hialeah in South Florida three years ago. In August, he handed the keys to the new owners and packed his family’s belongings into a moving van for a four-day drive to Denver. “We couldn’t take it anymore, the constant fear that one of us could be disappeared by ICE,” Silva said in an interview translated from Portuguese. “We wanted to stay in Florida where we’ve built our life, but my kids deserve a place where they feel safe and welcome.”