A federal judge is reviewing a lawsuit concerning detainee rights at the controversial immigration detention facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida. The hearing took place on Monday, where U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz expressed skepticism about the claims made by the detainees.

The lawsuit alleges that detainees lack the ability to communicate confidentially with their attorneys. It also seeks to designate a specific immigration court to oversee the facility. The plaintiffs argue that the rapid construction of the facility has led to significant constitutional concerns.

During the hearing, Judge Ruiz questioned the plaintiffs' lawyers about their specific requests from the court. He noted that while access to legal counsel has improved since the facility opened, issues remain. "You’d need to have some metric. It’s not necessarily that it can’t be done, but I think you can understand why crafting a scope of relief on the ground is challenging," he said.

ACLU attorney Eunice Cho, representing the detainees, stated, "The government has been in such a rush to build and detain people at the facility that it has run roughshod over constitutional concerns." She emphasized the urgency of the situation, claiming that at least one detainee was wrongfully deported due to lack of access to legal counsel.

Judge Ruiz acknowledged that the facility's rapid establishment has contributed to the ongoing access issues. He remarked that the case might need to be transferred to a different court, as the facility is located in the Middle District of Florida, while the lawsuit was filed in the Southern District.

The judge also noted that the federal government argued the lawsuit is more about challenging the detention decisions rather than the First Amendment claims regarding legal access. "I think the best argument they’re attempting to advance today on the federal side is that this is almost a Trojan horse," Ruiz said.

In a related development, the federal government has designated the Krome North Service Processing Center as the immigration court responsible for overseeing Alligator Alcatraz. This designation addresses one of the claims in the lawsuit.

The Alligator Alcatraz facility is also facing a separate lawsuit regarding its environmental impact. A federal judge recently issued a temporary restraining order to halt further construction while the environmental concerns are evaluated. Judge Kathleen Williams is expected to make a ruling on that matter soon.