Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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.

Residents of all ages gathered at Fort Myers City Hall to remember those who died while held in ICE detention centers.

Thousands of immigrants have been transferred from jails and prisons across Florida into ICE facilities since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. The tool behind this pipeline is called a detainer: a request by the federal agency to state and local law enforcement to hold individuals who are not U.S. citizens for up to 48 hours past their scheduled release for possible detention and deportation.

The Fallout from the immigration raids conducted by Immigration & Customs Enforcement are beginning to take a toll on small businesses.

Some Bonita Springs businesses say customers aren’t coming in like they used to. A new survey digs into why.

U.S. government lawyers say detainees at the Florida Everglades immigration detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," likely include people who have never been in removal proceedings. This contradicts Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's claims since the facility opened in July. The U.S. Department of Justice made this admission Thursday in a court filing. They argue that detainees don't have enough in common to be certified as a class in a lawsuit over access to attorneys. Civil rights groups allege detainees have been denied proper access to legal counsel, violating their constitutional rights. DeSantis's office hasn't responded to requests for comment.

A federal official confirmed Thursday that Florida received FEMA reimbursement for the Everglades detention center. The funds -- $608 million, all the funds the state requested — were received Tuesday, the day before the government shutdown.Elise Bennett, Florida director and a lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the information confirms the group’s contentions and backs up a lawsuit the group filed.

A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration and the federal government fight a judge's order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by late October. That's according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press.