Alligator Alcatraz

President Donald Trump has issued the first vetoes of his second term, rejecting two bipartisan natural resources bills. The Tuesday vetoes had the effect of punishing backers of the bills who had opposed the president's positions on other issues. Trump vetoed drinking water pipeline legislation from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a longtime ally who broke with the president over releasing files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also rejected legislation that would have given the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida more control over some of its land. The tribe was among groups suing the administration over an immigration detention center in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz."

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.

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.

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.

As the federal government intensifies its immigration crackdown, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has emerged as one of the Suncoast’s most active partners with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In recent months, Sheriff Kurt Hoffman’s deputies have patrolled the Everglades immigration jail known as “Alligator Alcatraz” and shuttled immigrants between detention facilities in Florida, earning more than $280,000 in state funding for the work. Meanwhile, the number of ICE detainers — which keep people up to 48 hours past their release date for possible detention and deportation — have quadrupled this past year inside the already crowded county jail.

“Hands Across The Land” is being billed as a peaceful gathering outside the Everglades detention center on Tamiami Trail/U.S. 41 in eastern Collier County and planned this Sunday.

A federal lawsuit over an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," has been paused by an appellate court because of the government shutdown. Earlier this month, U.S. government attorneys requested a stay in proceedings because funding for the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security had expired. The appellate court granted the request on Wednesday. Environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, had sued over environmental concerns. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams previously ordered the facility to wind down operations, but that injunction was put on hold by an appellate court panel.