No More Cover-Ups: Sanctuary of the South and ACLU of Florida Demand Accountability for Brutal Assaults at "Alligator Alcatraz"

MIAMI, FL — Sanctuary of the South (SOS) and the ACLU of Florida (ACLU of FL) have sent a Notice and Demand Letter to federal and state authorities on behalf of their clients who were brutally assaulted by guards inside the Everglades detention facility widely known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The letter puts the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and their contractors on notice: claims are coming under the Federal Tort Claims Act and the U.S. Constitution, and every shred of evidence must be preserved now.
Raiko Lopez Morffi, a Cuban national and lawful permanent resident, had been detained at the facility since December 2025. On the night of April 2, 2026, guards employed by contractor Critical Response Strategies and/or federal and state agents launched an unprovoked physical assault on Mr. Morffi, leaving him with head trauma, eye injuries, and bruising across his body, and a guard’s knee forced onto his neck. He was then thrown into a 2x2 meter solitary confinement cell for at least eight days, denied adequate medical care, and natural light.
Raimer Rodriguez, also a Cuban national and former lawful permanent resident, also suffered extensive injuries, including a fractured wrist, in that same assault: guards continuing to use force even as he cried out in pain from the floor. Even after an X-ray confirmed the break that required hospitalization, facility guards cut the supportive metal lining out of his cast and cut him off from his prescribed pain medication for an extended period.
“While we celebrate the closure of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ and are grateful to all those fighting against this abusive detention center from inside and out, the government must be held accountable for the crimes and atrocities committed inside this facility,” said Katie Blankenship, founder and managing partner of Sanctuary of the South. “Neither the DeSantis nor Trump Administrations can walk away from this failed experiment of human suffering, which cost taxpayers over $1 billion, without accountability. We will keep fighting alongside Raiko and Raimer, and all those harmed inside “Alligator Alcatraz” to make sure those responsible for this abusive center are held to account and other detention centers like it are closed and shuttered forever.”
The Notice and Demand Letter directs the agencies and their contractors to immediately locate, segregate, and preserve an extensive range of materials: use-of-force policies, SHU housing records, medical records, staffing and training records, internal communications, video and audio recordings from the assault in question, and records of any prior complaints of abuse at the facility. It puts the government on notice: any destruction or alteration of this evidence will be treated as intentional spoliation, and SOS and the ACLU of Florida will pursue every available sanction.
"As the State attempts to backtrack and distract from its failed political stunt at the Everglades Detention Facility, we will not tolerate the destruction of evidence of its concealed abuses,” said Amy Godshall, ACLU of Florida immigrants’ rights staff attorney. ”The treatment of Raiko and Raimer affirms what advocates and watchdogs have been exposing throughout this facility's existence, and as we've known for decades: abusive conditions in immigrant detention facilities are pervasive and demand constant oversight to ensure everyone in detention has access to basic human rights and dignity. No human being should ever be treated this way — and we will make sure those responsible are held accountable."
Mr. Morffi and Mr. Rodriguez are two of thousands of individuals harmed inside “Alligator Alcatraz.” While the facility has closed its doors, the crimes and harms committed inside are not forgotten. Prior to its closure, SOS launched the Freedom Advocates Program along with nonprofit organizations and other immigration experts across the state, with the goal of providing universal legal consultations to all in need who remained at the facility. This effort led to legal representation for dozens of individuals, and release for many of them. The Freedom Advocates Program also allowed attorneys and advocates to collect critical information and evidence from those inside before the doors closed.
SOS, the ACLU of Florida, and the thousands of individuals who suffered inside will continue to hold the government accountable for “Alligator Alcatraz” and the many atrocities that occurred inside.