A federal court granted a preliminary injunction requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Florida Department of Emergency Management to provide legal advice to undocumented immigrants detained at Alligator Alcatraz

of their freedom at the Everglades Detention Center known as Alligator Alcatraz.

Almost a month after reviewing the testimonies of several people detained there without access to a lawyer or documents, Federal District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell issued an order requiring ICE to provide confidential phone calls to those detained at Alligator Alcatraz.

The judge also mandated the publication of information on how lawyers and detainees can communicate with each other, clarifying that visits by lawyers to the detention center do not need to be scheduled in advance.

It should be noted that, because this case is certified as a class action lawsuit, the court order protects all detainees at the Everglades Detention Center, as well as those who may be temporarily sent there in the future.

In a statement, Corene Kendrick, Deputy Director of the Project The National Prison Council of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described Judge Sheri Polster Chappell's order as a victory for respect for constitutionally guaranteed rights. "Access to legal counsel is one of the most basic guarantees of our legal system. Today's ruling reinforces the importance of effective access to legal counsel for people detained on immigration grounds. Confidential communication with an attorney is essential for a fair legal process, and those who are detained deserve a real opportunity to understand and exercise their rights," the ACLU stated. Amy Godshall, for her part, An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida pointed out that, in the legal process to avoid deportation, any foreigner must have an attorney to represent their interests in court. “As mass deportation policies expand and Florida intensifies its use of 287(g) agreements,access to legal counsel is one of the last safeguards protecting people from unjust deportation or family separation. No one should have to fight deportation alone and without legal representation from inside a detention center; it is a fundamental constitutional right,” she emphasized. Katie Blankenship, founder of Sanctuary of the South, noted that no detention facility should be allowed to violate people's due process rights. “When a facility obstructs timely and confidential access to an attorney, it makes effective legal representation virtually impossible. This is not a minor obstacle; “it is a direct violation of due process.” “People are forced to face crucial immigration procedures without being able to communicate with their lawyers. This is unconstitutional and unacceptable,” he stated.