A new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” is facing lawsuits after detainees said a respiratory illness, possibly Covid-19, spread through the camp. Lawyers for the migrants say the conditions are unsafe and are asking courts for better medical care and more access to legal counsel.
One lawyer described the camp as a “petri dish for disease.” Protesters and attorneys also reported seeing ambulances arrive at the site regularly.
Why It Matters
The lawsuit is only one of several legal challenges the detention center is facing.
On August 7, a federal judge ordered construction at the site to stop temporarily after environmental groups argued it violated the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to study the environmental impact of large building projects.
Critics say detainees are being forced to live in unsanitary, unsafe, and inhumane conditions. They also argue the site breaks environmental protection laws.
The facility could cost Florida around $450 million each year to run. It was built as part of President Donald Trump’s plan for what his administration calls the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. Officials have said the camp is Florida’s responsibility.
What To Know
In a recent legal filing, attorney Eric Lee said his client, Luis Manuel Rivas Velásquez, showed respiratory symptoms. Many other migrants also became sick.
Rivas Velásquez was taken to a Miami hospital, diagnosed with a respiratory infection, then briefly returned to the camp before being moved to another detention center in El Paso, Texas.
Other filings said the camp had poor sanitation, limited access to lawyers, and overcrowded tents. Plaintiffs described it as a remote Everglades camp “without adequate medical infrastructure” where hundreds are packed into hot, humid tents with little ventilation or hygiene.
They claim that sick detainees were left in their bunks without testing or treatment while ambulances came “multiple times a week.” The lawsuit also says the government is blocking lawyers by confiscating legal materials and limiting visits. Environmental concerns were also raised, with claims the site was built “without lawful review” that is supposed to protect the Everglades.
Newsweek has previously heard other reports of overcrowding and poor conditions inside the facility.
Federal judges in the past have ordered better conditions at other detention centers after similar complaints. Conservation groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have also filed lawsuits, arguing the site was built without proper environmental review.
What People Are Saying
Eric Lee, the attorney for Rivas Velásquez, told The Guardian on Aug. 12, 2025: “It’s a petri dish for disease.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis responded after the judge temporarily halted construction on August 7: “Operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing.”
What Happens Next
The federal court is now reviewing both the environmental and detainee-rights lawsuits. Judges may order medical inspections, better reporting, or new rules to protect detainees’ health and rights.
For now, construction remains paused, and the legal battle over Alligator Alcatraz is still ongoing.
