TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - A federal judge in Florida wants civil rights attorneys and lawyers for the U.S. and for Florida to meet next month to hammer out a settlement in a lawsuit over whether detainees at an immigration center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” are getting adequate access to legal representatives.

During a Monday status hearing, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell set a conference for Dec. 16-17 in her Fort Myers courtroom.

“I think we’re closer on a lot of issues than we were before,” Polster Chappell said. “And I would think that the parties can come to the table and reasonably come to some agreements that aren’t going to be overly burdensome on the defendants but also will allow the plaintiffs to have the rights that they deserve.”

Attorne

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