Overview

• Civil rights lawyers from the ACLU and partner groups sued in July to secure confidential attorney visits and require updated location information for migrants held at the Everglades site.
• In court Monday, Judge Rodolfo Ruiz II signaled he would first address whether the lawsuit belongs in Miami’s Southern District before considering the merits of the counsel-access claims.
• State and DHS defenders say videoconferencing has been available since July 15 and in-person visits since July 28 with every legal-visitation request granted.
• Plaintiffs report that detainees face pressure to sign voluntary removal orders without counsel and that some have been deported despite lacking final removal decisions.
• Federal environmental litigation has halted further construction and Florida has opened a second facility called Deportation Depot to maintain detention capacity.