ORLANDO, Fla. — U.S. government attorneys have stated that detainees at the immigration detention center, nicknamed the 'Alligator Alcatraz', may comprise individuals who have never been subjected to removal processes, directly opposing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's claims since the facility's inception.
In a court filing on Thursday, the Justice Department argued that the wide array of immigration statuses among the detainees rendered them too heterogeneous to qualify as a class in a lawsuit concerning access to legal representation. A removal proceeding is an official legal process conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to assess whether an individual should be deported.
“The proposed class encompasses all detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, a location that houses individuals at varying stages of immigration processing,” said the DOJ attorneys, highlighting that it potentially includes those who have yet to enter removal proceedings.
The ongoing custody battle began after the facility’s establishment in July, where DeSantis asserted that each detainee has complied with the criteria confirming their illegal status in the U.S.
At a July news conference, Governor DeSantis stated, “Everybody here is already on a final removal order,” a stance he reiterated at a subsequent event for the Florida Sheriffs Association.
The Department of Justice's legal brief emerges amid a lawsuit where civil rights factions argue that detainees at the center lack proper legal counsel, violating their rights. These groups recently sought a preliminary injunction to ensure detainees' legal access is protected. The controversy around the facility has been heightened by three separate lawsuits from various civil and environmental rights organizations.
A federal ruling mandated a cessation of its operations after expressing concerns regarding insufficient environmental reviews; however, the facility’s operations were allowed to resume under appellate court relief, maintaining a detainee population of over 900 in the summer.
Trump, during a visit earlier, indicated support for similar facilities nationwide, securing Florida a $608 million reimbursement for its construction and operational expenses, marking a pivotal moment for U.S. immigration enforcement strategies.
