No Change
An appeals court ruled that the remote "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration facility can remain open, rejecting a bid for a federal environmental review. The decision came from a federal appeals panel that declined to order a broader environmental impact study of the South Florida site. The ruling keeps the facility operating while legal and policy fights over its location and oversight continue.
Separately, a former detainee, Maikel Rojas, publicly described alleged inhumane conditions inside the remote site after his March release. Rojas, a 45-year-old Cuban who entered the U.S. in 2004 and has a 2005 accessory-to-murder conviction, said 32 people shared three toilets under constant camera surveillance. He alleges meals often arrived spoiled after sitting for hours in the heat and that detainees were denied visits and had little or no access to lawyers. Rojas says he lost roughly 45 pounds during about four-and-a-half months in custody. His wife, Roxana Torres, says she secured his release by filing a habeas corpus petition she learned about from another detainee's wife. Rojas is now out on an ankle monitor, must return for an immigration check-in in Miramar, and still faces unresolved legal status.
ICE acknowledged a request for comment but asked for more time and gave no immediate rebuttal to the conditions allegations. Earlier coverage centered on the legal fight and environmental concerns, driven by reporting on the appeals court ruling, while the detainee's first-person account pushed attention toward alleged mistreatment and access to counsel. The former detainee's account was shared on CBS News' Facebook page and prompted social media attention that broadened the public debate beyond legal technicalities.
đ Key Facts
- Former detainee Maikel Rojas, 45, publicly described alleged inhumane conditions at the remote 'Alligator Alcatraz' ICE facility for the first time after his March release.
- Rojas says detainees were denied visits from loved ones and had limited or no access to legal representation while held at the site.
- He alleges that roughly 32 people shared three toilets under constant camera surveillance, that meals often arrived spoiled after hours in the heat, and that he lost about 45 pounds during roughly four-and-a-half months in custody.
- Rojas' wife, Roxana Torres, says she secured his release by filing a habeas corpus petition she learned about from another detainee's wife and describes it as a free legal option.
- Rojas, who arrived from Cuba in 2004 and was convicted as an accessory to murder in 2005, is now on an ankle monitor, must return for another Miramar immigration check-in, and his legal status remains unresolved.
- ICE acknowledged CBS Miami's request for comment but said it needed more time to respond, offering no immediate rebuttal or detailed response to the allegations.
đ° Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Former detainee Maikel Rojas, a 45-year-old Cuban man, publicly describes alleged inhumane conditions inside the 'Alligator Alcatraz' ICE facility for the first time after his March release.
- Rojas claims detainees were denied visits from loved ones and had limited or no access to legal representation while held at the remote site.
- He alleges that 32 people shared 3 toilets under constant camera surveillance, that meals often arrived spoiled after hours in the heat, and that he lost about 45 pounds during roughly four and a half months in custody.
- Rojas' wife, Roxana Torres, credits his release to filing a habeas corpus petition she learned about from another detainee's wife and says it was a free legal option.
- Rojas, who arrived from Cuba in 2004 and was convicted as an accessory to murder in 2005, is now on an ankle monitor and must return for another Miramar immigration check-in, with his legal status unresolved.
- ICE acknowledged CBS Miami's request for comment but said it needed more time to respond, providing no immediate rebuttal or detail on the conditions allegations.