ICE

A Bonita Springs man who was taken into ICE detention in February says that during his three months in custody, he was mistreated so badly, he nearly died.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is ramping up its hiring efforts to support President Donald Trump's mass deportation goals. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia is training new recruits. Concerns about training standards have been raised, but ICE officials insist they are maintaining quality. Training includes firearms, driving techniques, de-escalation and immigration law, with a focus on the Fourth Amendment and immigration law. The agency is receiving $76.5 billion from Congress, with $30 billion earmarked for new staff. ICE aims to hire 10,000 new deportation officers by the end of the year.

A federal judge is hearing closing arguments over whether to stop construction indefinitely at an immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” The judge is considering Tuesday whether the facility violates environmental laws. Last week she ordered a two-week halt on new construction, but that doesn’t restrict law enforcement or immigration enforcement activity there. The center has hundreds of detainees in temporary tent structures and can hold up to 3,000 people. It was quickly built two months ago at a training airport. Detainees say there are worms in the food and overflowing toilets, while mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere.

Florida's corrections agency and ICE updated an agreement on handling federal immigration detainees, but they did it more than a month after 'Alligator Alcatraz' opened. This update was made public Thursday in court documents. The facility built in the Florida Everglades has faced criticism for allegedly restricting detainees' access to attorneys and immigration courts. A civil rights lawsuit has been filed, and a federal judge has ordered officials to clarify who has legal authority over detainees. Another judge in a separate lawsuit temporarily halted construction on Thursday while she considers whether it violates environmental laws. Florida claims detainees have had access to legal counsel.

Two people keenly familiar with the Everglades are on a mission to blunt the image stoked by the name Alligator Alcatraz.

Florida House Democrats in Tallahassee are demanding answers from the state Department of Children and Families over its role in handing over a foster child from Honduras to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. The boy, Henry, is a suspected undocumented immigrant.

Florida Gulf Coast University has released its first official statement regarding a recent agreement that has drawn attention and sparked discussion within the campus community.

Florida Gulf Coast University has joined the growing list of institutions formalizing partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

City of Punta Gorda has mixed opinions at their city council meeting on Wednesday, March 19.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office would investigate Monday night's split vote by the Fort Myers City Council that will now block city police from entering into a federal government agreement on immigration operations.