Judge demands legal custody records for controversial ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center

'Alligator Alcatraz': Florida shares emergency plans

The State of Florida is now sharing some of its emergency procedures at the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center. FOX 35's Manny Martinez shares new documents released that show a heavily redacted emergency plan.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A federal judge has ordered officials to produce agreements showing which government agency or private contractor has legal authority to hold people at the immigration detention facility in the Everglades that has become known as "Alligator Alcatraz."

What we know:

U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz, an appointee of President Donald Trump, has ordered federal and Florida officials to turn over documents detailing who has legal authority over the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility, the Associated Press is reporting. The facility was quickly constructed on a remote Everglades airstrip last month. 

The order stems from a civil rights lawsuit alleging constitutional violations, including lack of legal representation, indefinite detention without charges, and canceled bond hearings. 

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Ruiz gave officials until Thursday to submit all relevant agreements and contracts.

What we don't know:

Despite being operational for over a month, it remains unclear which agency —state or federal— has actual legal custody of the hundreds of detainees. Specifics about who is handling removal proceedings, daily oversight, and the number of staff deployed at the site remain undisclosed, with Judge Ruiz ruling those requests overly broad for now.

The backstory:

The facility at the abandoned Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," has drawn criticism since its July opening for its secretive rollout, murky jurisdictional control, and location deep in the environmentally sensitive Everglades. 

Immigration lawyers filed suit over detainees’ civil liberties, alleging widespread due process violations, including lack of legal access and canceled bond hearings.

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 Environmental groups filed a separate legal challenge citing violations of environmental laws during the center’s construction. A hearing on the environmental lawsuit is scheduled for Wednesday.

What's next:

Officials have until Thursday to provide all written agreements and contracts, Judge Ruiz said.

The federal government and the State of Florida have pushed to limit disclosure to agreements between ICE and three specific agencies—the Florida Highway Patrol, National Guard, and Department of Law Enforcement.

Judge Ruiz, while granting the request for legal custody records, deemed broader information requests excessive at this stage.