A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration and the state of Florida to begin dismantling the controversial immigrant detention center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” In an 82-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams granted a preliminary injunction blocking the transfer of new detainees to the facility and halting any further construction. The ruling also gives the government 60 days to clear the site, requiring the removal of fencing, floodlights, generators, and waste facilities.
The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of environmental groups and a Native American tribe, who argued the detention center was constructed without the environmental reviews mandated under the National Environmental Policy Act. Environmental Policy Act. Judge Williams agreed, finding that the project risked causing irreparable harm to one of the nation’s most fragile ecosystems.
The Everglades, home to endangered species such as the Florida panther and the wood stork, faced disruption from the facility’s lighting, sewage, and waste infrastructure. “The judge’s order came just in time to stop it all from unraveling,” said Eve Samples of Friends of the Everglades, calling the ruling a landmark victory.
Although another lawsuit over detainees’ legal access was partly dismissed, Thursday’s decision effectively freezes and begins to dismantle the controversial site.
