Third Lawsuit Filed Against 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center by Detainee

New Lawsuit Filed Against Alligator Alcatraz

• ⚖️ A third federal lawsuit has been filed against the temporary detention facility known as 'Alligator Alcatraz.'
• 👤 The lawsuit is brought on behalf of a detainee, identified by the initials MA, who has been at the facility since July 26 and is now wheelchair-bound.
• 🏛️ The complaint argues that the state lacks the legal authority to create, operate, and staff the facility, and that immigration detention processes are not being followed.

Allegations of Improper Operations

• 🚫 The suit claims that the contractor operating the facility does not have a 287g agreement with DHS, meaning its employees are not deputized to perform immigration functions.
• 📄 It is argued that FTEM, the state entity involved, is not a law enforcement agency and its employees cannot be deputized for independent state detention operations.
• ⚠️ The lawsuit asserts that Florida has created a disaster by ignoring established standards, with allegations that 90% of the state-hired staff is illegitimate.

Calls for Closure and Legal Challenges

• 🛑 Opponents are holding prayer vigils, calling for the instant closure of the facility, describing its operation as "cruelty by design" and "evil."
• 📉 This new lawsuit follows a federal judge's ruling that Alligator Alcatraz must wind down operations within 60 days, a decision that sided with the Miccosukee tribe and environmentalists.
• 🌍 Environmentalists previously filed a lawsuit claiming the state bypassed a federal mandate requiring a study on the facility's impact on the Everglades.
• 🚫 The current lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent further detainees from being placed at the facility, citing a clear lack of authority at the heart of its operations.