Florida Everglades

On "The Florida Roundup," Eve Samples with Friends of the Everglades discussed the organization's lawsuit against the state for "Alligator Alcatraz" and more.

A Colombian legislator joined local clergy and immigrant advocates on Sunday in demanding Alligator Alcatraz be closed and detainees released to end what they describe as a "national and international" human rights crisis.

The deal reached between Tropical Audubon and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection dramatically scales back the project permit from 8,000 acres in cane fields to just over 2,000.

Meanwhile, government attorneys say a reimbursement agreement isn't even finalized.

The detainees testified they had to write attorneys' phone numbers on walls with soap because of a lack of pen and paper.

State and federal officials who had been scheduled to attend the conference in Naples this week said Wednesday they would not attend, leaving organizers scrambling to replace speakers.

This week on "The Florida Roundup," we spoke with the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta about inflation, the job market and affordability. Then, we talked about the upcoming state legislative session with Senate President Ben Albritton and more.

Environmental groups claim federal and state officials withheld evidence about funding for an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades.

The decision came from a federal judge who said a detainee, identified as M.A., failed to show irreparable harm.

Visitors greeted by a trailer after Hurricane Irma destroyed a temporary center in 2017 now will be welcomed by a storm-resilient modern visitor center with sweeping views.

Five lawmakers filed the lawsuit in July after they made an unannounced visit to the facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz” but were denied access.

Attorneys for the detainees are seeking a preliminary injunction to improve communication with their clients. They claim current practices make it difficult to meet before key deadlines.