Judge rejects Florida lawmakers attempt to provide 'oversight' at Alligator Alcatraz

LEON COUNTY, Fla. — In a significant legal victory for the DeSantis administration, a Leon County circuit judge has ruled that state lawmakers do not have a statutory right to conduct unannounced oversight visits at the controversial immigrant detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz."

The ruling, issued Friday by Judge Jonathan Sjostrom, effectively shuts the door on a lawsuit brought by a group of Democratic legislators who argued that Florida law grants them the power to inspect state correctional institutions "at their pleasure."

The Dispute Over Oversight

The legal battle began in July 2025, when two state senators and three House members attempted to make a surprise visit to the facility, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in the Everglades. They were blocked at the gates by state officials citing "safety reasons."

The lawmakers—including State Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, and State Representatives Anna Eskamani, Angie Nixon, and Michele Rayner—filed suit shortly after. They claimed the Governor's refusal to grant entry was an unconstitutional executive overreach that prevented them from performing their legislative duties.

In a five-page decision, Judge Sjostrom disagreed with the lawmakers’ interpretation of the law. He noted that while Florida statutes do provide legislators access to state prisons and county jails, those definitions do not apply to this specific facility.

"The facility does not meet the statutory definition of a state correctional institution because no prisoner is housed in the facility under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Corrections," Sjostrom wrote.

Because the facility is operated as a civil detention center for immigration processing rather than a criminal prison, the judge ruled that the "at their pleasure" access rights do not extend to the site.

Representative Anna Eskamani expressed sharp disappointment with the court's decision, suggesting it sets a dangerous precedent for government transparency.

"This court decision significantly undermines our ability to do the job we were elected to do: conduct oversight, safeguard civil liberties, and ensure that government power is not abused behind closed doors or beyond public view," Eskamani said in a statement on social media.

WINK Investigates reached out to Senator Jones' office for comment, and a representative told us the litigation is still ongoing.

We also reached out to Ron DeSantis' office for comment, but received no response.

This is just one of many lawsuits against the facility.