Alligator Alcatraz

The filings say detainees are often transferred just before scheduled lawyer visits, denying them legal representation.

According to the governor’s office, the Baker County facility opened Sept. 2 and had more than 100 detainees as of Friday. It can house up to 1,500 people.

Florida may be forced to choose between forgoing federal reimbursement for the immigrant detention center or facing an environmental review that would risk shutting down the facility.

The three-judge panel in Atlanta on Thursday decided by a 2-1 vote to stay the federal judge’s order pending the outcome of an appeal. The judges in the majority said it was in the public interest.

The legal rights lawsuit claims detainees have been denied the right to meet privately with their attorneys.

State and federal officials asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to issue a stay of a preliminary injunction. If granted, a state filing in another lawsuit indicated plans to again ramp up operations.

A former detainee describes conditions at the Everglades facility and the circumstances of his apprehension by a border patrol agent.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security official confirmed in an email Friday that the agency is "complying with (the judge's) order and moving detainees to other facilities."

A prayer vigil set for Aug. 31 outside immigrant detention camp in the Everglades

More migrants are thought to be "self-deporting" amid President Trump's sweeping arrests campaign — and for many a big reason is the "xenophobia and hatred" they say the U.S. has surrendered to.

Shutting down the facility for the time being would cost the state $15 million to $20 million immediately, and it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if Florida is allowed to reopen it, according to court filings by the state.

A federal judge in Miami refused to pause her order to wind down the Everglades facility. Attorneys for Homeland Security requested a stay, arguing the ruling would disrupt immigration enforcement.