Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said operations at an immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” are “ongoing” after a federal judge on Thursday ordered a two-week halt to construction there while she considers whether it violates environmental laws.
“Operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
Alex Lanfranconi, DeSantis’ communications director, wrote that Thursday’s ruling “will have no impact on immigration enforcement in Florida. Alligator Alcatraz will remain operational, continuing to serve as a force multiplier to enhance deportation efforts.”
Why It Matters
The facility, repurposing the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, was hastily built two months ago and can hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures.
The Trump administration has touted it as representing its hardline stance on immigration enforcement and border security. But critics say it runs afoul of environmental laws and that detainees are forced to endure unsafe, unsanitary and inhumane living conditions.
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What To Know
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled the center can continue to operate and hold those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but temporarily barred any new construction at the center.
Her order bars the installation of any new industrial-style lighting, as well as any paving, filling, excavating or fencing. It also prohibits any other site expansion, including placing or erecting any additional buildings, tents, dormitories or other residential or administrative facilities.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe asked Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction at the center, arguing the center threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars’ worth of environmental restoration.
Their lawsuit argued that the detention facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to evaluate the environmental impact of major construction projects.
Attorneys for Florida argued during a hearing on Thursday that although the center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation are entirely under the state’s purview and that NEPA does not apply.
But attorneys for the environmental groups pushed back, saying the purpose of the facility is for immigration enforcement and that it wouldn’t exist if the federal government did not want a facility to hold detainees.
Williams said the detention facility was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government.
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What People Are Saying
Eve Samples, executive director at Friends of the Everglades, said in a statement: “We’re pleased that the judge saw the urgent need to put a pause on additional construction, and we look forward to advancing our ultimate goal of protecting the unique and imperiled Everglades ecosystem from further damage caused by this mass detention facility.”
Talbert Cypress, the chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, said in a statement posted on social media: “We welcome the court’s decision to pause construction on this deeply concerning project. The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people. While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades.”
President Donald Trump said while touring the facility in July: “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation.”
What’s Next
The temporary restraining order will be in place for the next two weeks while the ongoing preliminary injunction hearing continues.
Meanwhile, a second lawsuit brought by civil rights group says detainees’ rights are being violated. A hearing in that case is scheduled for August 18.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
