COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Roughly 600 people are currently being detained at the migrant detention facility in South Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
As the facility fills up, serious concerns are being raised about the legal process — or lack thereof — in place for those detained.
Miami-based immigration attorney Atara Eig said she was unable to see her client in person during a visit to the site Tuesday.
“We haven’t been able to have access in person with our clients,” Eig said.
Her client is currently being held at the facility, and while she is worried about the legal roadblocks, she’s also concerned about what her client described as “terrible” living conditions.
“The lights are on 24/7, there’s no lights-out to sleep. The bathroom situation is not good, the infrastructure is not there to support the population,” Eig said.
Eig said she attempted to visit her client but was unable to get past the facility’s security perimeter.
“They took all of our information as soon as we got there and immediately sent it somewhere,” she said.
She waited for more than an hour and said she would have stayed longer had she received any kind of update — something she said is standard practice at other detention sites.
“My partners and I have practiced immigration law for literally decades, and we are no strangers to detention facilities,” Eig said.
Her client is reportedly eligible for bond, but Eig claims there is currently no legal process in place that allows her to submit the necessary paperwork.
“Can I do something for this client? As far as the law’s concerned, I can, but I’m not being given the access to do what I can do,” she said.
As the number of detainees grows, Eig said better legal infrastructure is urgently needed.
“Just tell me where I can file the bond online and let it be accepted,” she added.
Local 10 News reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Department of Emergency Management to ask what legal processes are in place or being developed at the Alligator Alcatraz facility.
Stephanie Hartman, a Florida Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman, told Local 10 News that detainees have access to phone and video calls with their attorneys.