Allegations of Abuse at Florida Immigration Detention Center

According to lawyers representing two detainees, guards at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades severely assaulted an immigrant detainee, inflicting injuries on his head, shoulders, and wrists.

Attorney Katherine Blankenship revealed in a court statement that earlier this month, guards singled out several detainees who had expressed concerns about non-functioning phone services at the facility. These phones are crucial for detainees wanting to connect with family and legal representatives.

The situation escalated when the guards initially began abusing detainees in their cells. Blankenship noted that the guards then grew increasingly aggressive, shouting and threatening to enter the cages.

One detainee approached a guard and was promptly punched in the face. Following this, the guards began to attack other detainees within the cell. Blankenship recounted how one detainee was struck in the right eye, thrown to the floor, and assaulted by multiple guards. One guard reportedly kicked him in the head, leading to injuries to his shoulder and arm. Another guard pressed his knee into the detainee’s neck while restraining him.

The declaration included a photograph showing a detainee with bruising around his eyes, captured during a video call nearly a week after the incident.

“Several individuals were beaten, with one detainee suffering a broken wrist during this episode,” Blankenship claimed, adding that none of her clients had any broken bones.

The phone service was restored the following day, but authorities did not provide an explanation for the disruption in calls.

Blankenship’s court declaration was part of a filing which accused state and federal officials of noncompliance with a federal judge’s preliminary injunction. This injunction mandated that detainees receive timely, free, confidential, and unmonitored communications with their attorneys.

U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell ordered that at least one functioning phone be available for every 25 detainees. This ruling stemmed from a lawsuit that claimed violations of detainees’ First Amendment rights.

While state officials deny these accusations, citing safety and staffing concerns tied to reduced personnel, federal officials also involved in the suit have rejected claims of violating detainees’ rights. Recently, state officials indicated their intention to appeal the judge’s ruling.

The facility, designed to back Governor Ron DeSantis’ immigration policies, has faced numerous lawsuits since its inception last summer. Last week, during a visit, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz mentioned she was not allowed to talk with any detainees and criticized the center’s conditions as “inhumane” and “cruel.” She further stated, “The way detainees are held is cruel and unnecessary.”