Miami, FL — Civil rights lawyers are hailing a “major victory” for detainees at the Florida Everglades immigration detention center, known as Alligator Alcatraz, after federal officials confirmed that bond hearings will now be held through Miami’s Krome North Service Processing Center.

The announcement came following a federal court hearing Monday in Downtown Miami, where attorneys from Americans for Immigrant Justice and the ACLU pushed for clarity on the legal rights of those held at the remote facility.

For months, detainees at Alligator Alcatraz—officially part of the Glades County Detention Center—had experienced canceled bond and complaint hearings, leaving their immigration cases in legal limbo. This lack of access to judges led advocates to challenge what they called unconstitutional detention without due process.

“We won a big victory,” said Eunice Cho, senior counsel at the ACLU’s National Prison Project. “The government has conceded that bond hearings will now be provided. This is a win for those held at the facility, for civil rights, and for immigrants nationwide.”

Attorneys argued that the suspension of hearings effectively cut detainees off from meaningful legal recourse. The government’s acknowledgment that Krome’s immigration court holds jurisdiction is expected to restore detainees’ ability to seek release on bond and contest their detention.

Advocates also emphasized that this development highlights broader issues surrounding immigration detention in Florida’s remote areas, where access to legal counsel and courts remains limited. “This isn’t just about one facility in the Everglades,” noted one attorney. “It’s about ensuring equal rights for everyone in immigration detention, no matter their location.”

The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment publicly on the change, but civil rights groups say they will continue to monitor the situation to ensure detainees receive timely and fair hearings moving forward.