Attorneys Report Ongoing Access Barriers at Florida Everglades Facility

Attorneys representing immigration detainees at a state-run facility in the Florida Everglades reported on Thursday that they continue to encounter significant barriers in accessing their clients, contradicting assurances from state officials that such obstacles have been addressed.

The lawyers submitted statements to a federal court in Fort Myers, Florida, detailing specific issues. One attorney noted that their client was unable to make a phone call using a staff cellphone, while another described failed attempts to conduct unannounced visits to the detention center. These accounts emerged despite testimony from a state contractor last month, who claimed during a court hearing that detainees and attorneys had access to staff phones and could make unscheduled visits.

The case centers on the detention facility, constructed last summer at a remote airstrip in the Everglades. Operated by the Florida Department of Emergency Management, the center was established to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts. Florida has also developed a second such facility in the northern part of the state. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, former detainees at the Everglades site, argue that the...