A federal choose on Thursday briefly halted any additional development of the immigrant detention middle generally known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
U.S. District Choose Kathleen Mary Williams granted a brief restraining order after two days of testimony in regards to the environmental affect of the location.
The state of Florida and President Donald Trump’s administration can proceed to make use of the power and home detainees there, however any additional development should be halted for 14 days.
An aerial view reveals “Alligator Alcatraz” ICE detention middle at Dade-Collier Coaching and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, July 24, 2025.
Marco Bello/Reuters
Whereas the listening to was set to renew on Tuesday, Choose Williams granted the momentary order to stop attainable hurt to the delicate Everglades ecosystem within the meantime.
Environmental teams and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida urged Choose Williams to dam the development web site as a result of the detention middle was accomplished with out conducting crucial affect research. The realm is house to a number of delicate species — together with the endangered Florida Panther — and is taken into account sacred to the Miccosukee tribe.
“We welcome the courtroom’s determination to pause development on this deeply regarding challenge. The detention facility threatens land that’s not solely environmentally delicate however sacred to our individuals. Whereas this order is momentary, it is a vital step in asserting our rights and defending our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will proceed to face for our tradition, our sovereignty, and the Everglades,” Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress mentioned in an announcement.
A spokesperson for Florida AG James Uthmeier’s workplace launched an announcement to ABC Information in response to the choose’s ruling.
“Choose Williams’ order is flawed, and we are going to combat it. Nevertheless, it doesn’t shut down Alligator Alcatraz, which can proceed to ship unlawful aliens again to the place they got here from,” the assertion learn.
The choose’s determination on Thursday comes after Wednesday’s listening to solely noticed 5 witnesses referred to as to the stand by the environmental teams that filed the lawsuit, as an alternative of the a number of state and federal officers who had been set to testify.
At difficulty is the query of whether or not federal and state officers bypassed legally required environmental affect research throughout development of the power — which plaintiffs say ought to block it from getting used as a detention middle.
Attorneys representing Florida officers have argued that the power was initially funded by, constructed and managed by the state and is subsequently exempt from the Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act — the primary regulation getting used to problem the power’s compliance.
Alligator Alcatraz has to this point operated in what immigration advocates have described as a jurisdictional grey zone — with the power funded by the federal authorities however run by the state of Florida — that they allege permits officers to skirt some authorized necessities.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has beforehand argued that the state of Florida is “implementing” the federal authorities’s immigration coverage with the expectation that the state could be absolutely reimbursed for the prices of Alligator Alcatraz, however native and federal officers have to this point been unable to inform the federal courts who is definitely answerable for the power.
The listening to — at which federal, state, and tribal officers are testifying — comes amid heightened scrutiny of the power, which was as soon as touted as a “one-stop store to hold out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.”
Positioned 50 miles west of Miami within the coronary heart of the Florida Everglades, Alligator Alcatraz was shortly constructed over a matter of weeks, using a whole bunch of tents, trailers, and different momentary services to probably home greater than 3,000 detainees.
The power was constructed on the grounds of the Dade-Collier Coaching and Transition Airport, a sparsely used piece of tarmac owned by Miami-Dade County.
Alligator Alcatraz additionally neighbors land leased to the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, together with villages, a college, conventional searching areas, and sacred websites. The Miccosukee Tribe joined the lawsuit final month, arguing that the power threatens to break close by tribal villages.
It is a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
