C.M. v. Noem
Overview
Overview
Detainees in an immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades known as 'Alligator Alcatraz," represented by the ACLU, sued the Trump administration over the Trump administration's attempts to prevent them from contacting legal counsel. This suit was originally filed in the Southern District of Florida under docket number 1:25-cv-23182 before being transferred to the Middle District.
The Issue
Issue
Whether the Trump administration violated the First Amendment, Sixth Amendment, or Due Process rights of immigration detainees by preventing them from contacting legal counsel at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility.
The Rules
Rule
Detainees retain a constitutional right to meaningful access to legal counsel; the government cannot erect substantial barriers to such access without compelling justification.
The Application
Analysis
Detainees at the facility were allegedly prevented from contacting legal counsel by the Trump administration; the ACLU challenges these restrictions as unconstitutional interference with protected rights.
The Conclusion
A preliminary injunction did issue: on March 27, 2026 the court granted in part Plaintiffs' motion and enjoined the State and Federal Defendants to provide confidential, unmonitored legal telephone access at the facility. Defendants appealed that order interlocutorily to the Eleventh Circuit, and the court denied their motion to stay the injunction pending appeal. The case remains open but was stayed on July 20, 2026 pending a ruling on the Defendants' suggestions of mootness tied to the facility's planned closure.
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