Overview

• U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz dismissed detainees’ Fifth Amendment claim as moot after the government designated the Krome North Service Processing Center to hear their immigration cases.
• The judge transferred the remaining First Amendment allegations about inadequate, non‑confidential access to counsel to the Middle District of Florida, where the facility is located.
• A separate environmental suit has paused new construction for 14 days, and Judge Kathleen Williams is expected to rule on longer‑term relief as operations continue at the site.
• Florida officials say videoconferencing began July 15 and in‑person meetings started July 28, while civil rights lawyers report canceled hearings, non‑confidential meetings, coercion into voluntary removals, and poor conditions.
• The Everglades complex continues to hold detainees as Florida advances plans for additional capacity, including a second site dubbed the “Deportation Depot” at Baker Correctional Institution.