Detainees arriving at the immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” are provided with color-coded uniforms and wristbands, segregated based on their criminal history and perceived flight risk, according to a handbook given to them.
This handbook, submitted in court documents as part of a lawsuit regarding proper access to legal counsel for detainees, outlines stringent rules regarding hygiene and clothing and indicates an environment that sharply contrasts with the harrowing conditions described by detainees shortly after the center's opening in July.
Three lawsuits have been filed by civil rights and environmental groups concerned about the facility's conditions, constructed over the summer by the state of Florida and operated by private contractors.
A federal judge in Miami ordered in August that operations be halted within two months, siding with environmental advocates who argued that the location had not undergone sufficient environmental reviews before its transformation into a detention center. However, operations continued following a stay by an appellate court panel in early September.
President Donald Trump toured the facility in July and indicated it could serve as a model for future detention facilities nationwide, as his administration seeks to bolster deportation efforts.
Civil rights organizations recently petitioned a Fort Myers federal judge for an injunction, asserting that only the Department of Homeland Security should manage immigration detention, and that the establishment of the facility bypassed essential federal regulations.
Concerns have been raised about the treatment of detainees, with reports of held individuals going weeks without removal charges and disappearing from typical tracking systems, amidst allegations of poor physical conditions.
The handbook submitted by the state, however, details strict disciplinary measures for detainees, who must comply with grooming standards and respect dress codes that sanction punishments for infractions, emphasizing the necessity for personal hygiene.
While the facility does offer some legal resources, disputes remain over the confidentiality of attorney-client communications, with some officials arguing that privacy is maintained throughout legal proceedings.
Additionally, the handbook promises a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault, while paradoxically dictating behavioral advice to prevent victimization.
As this situation unfolds, it raises pressing questions about the treatment of detainees in U.S. immigration facilities and the future of policies surrounding immigration enforcement.
