Detainees at the Florida Everglades immigration detention center, known as 'Alligator Alcatraz', are required to wear color-coded uniforms and wristbands, with their categorization dependent on their criminal history and flight risk, as presented in a recent court document.
The document details stark rules concerning hygiene and attire, contrasting significantly with detainees' harrowing accounts of poor living conditions since the center's opening in July.
Multiple lawsuits have emerged from civil rights and environmental groups, targeting the operational conditions of the facility, erected by the state and managed by private contractors.
A federal judge ruled in August for the center to curtail operations, citing insufficient environmental review before transforming the site. However, activities continued due to a subsequent appellate court hold.
In July, President Donald Trump visited the facility, suggesting it could set a blueprint for future immigration detention centers, as his administration pushes for increased deportations.
Civil rights advocates are fighting for an injunction to halt the facility's operations, asserting that immigration detention should be exclusively overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring compliance with federal regulations.
The handbook also outlines strict orders for maintaining hygiene and behavior. Detainees must adhere to a rigorous schedule and have limited privileges. Issues of unsanitary conditions and complaints about health standards are recurrent themes in detainees' reports.
The handbook, while indicating measures for personal safety, has garnered criticism for lacking realistic enforcement in the facility's environment. It highlights personal hygiene expectations, yet detainees recount facilities where sanitation protocols are not upheld.
While lawyers claim there are adequate provisions for detainee communication, civil rights groups contest these assertions, emphasizing that legal access remains compromised.
