DeSantis is a top notch governor. He’s worked hard to change Florida for the better.
But Ron DeSantis is speechless after hearing this troubling news from a federal judge.
Federal Judge Blocks Expansion of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Migrant Camp
In a significant ruling, a Miami federal judge has put the brakes on Florida’s migrant detention facility, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” ordering a halt to new detainees and the removal of critical infrastructure within two months. District Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed by President Barack Obama, issued the temporary injunction in response to a lawsuit from environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, who warned of the facility’s threat to the Florida Everglades.
The plaintiffs argued that federal agencies failed to evaluate the detention center’s impact on the Everglades’ wetlands, endangered species, and the tribe’s water and food resources, violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The facility, built on 30 square miles of former Miami-Dade County airport land, was constructed in just eight days under emergency powers invoked by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
It opened last month with a capacity for 2,000 migrants and plans to expand to 4,000, using tent structures to house detainees.
Judge Williams’ order prohibits authorities from “bringing any additional persons” to “Alligator Alcatraz” beyond those already detained when the ruling took effect.
Within 60 days, and “once the population attrition allows for safe implementation of this Order,” officials must dismantle temporary fencing, lighting fixtures “installed for the use of the property as a detention facility,” and all generators, gas, sewage, and waste systems. Without these, the facility’s ability to operate is uncertain.
This ruling builds on an earlier order from Williams halting construction at the site, a restriction that remains in place. The lawsuit hinges on whether the state-led project required federal environmental review under NEPA.
Florida’s attorney, Jesse Panuccio, argued that the state’s control over the facility exempts it from NEPA, but the plaintiffs countered that federal authority over immigration policy makes NEPA applicable.
In her decision, Williams highlighted the challenges of undoing environmental harm if NEPA violations are confirmed:
“Allowing the detention camp to continue expanding its infrastructure and operations poses an even more formidable challenge than maintaining the status quo because ‘it is difficult to change that course’ if the Court eventually decides that NEPA assessments are required,” she wrote.
She added, “The construction of the facility may have taken only eight days, but the capacity of the Defendants to remedy the NEPA violations outlined will involve a longer period of time.”
As the case continues, the injunction stands, pausing the facility’s growth and spotlighting the clash between immigration policy and environmental protection.
Environmentalists and the Miccosukee Tribe see the ruling as a critical step in safeguarding the Everglades.
But DeSantis and Trump believe Alligator Alcatraz has a vital role in helping to curb illegal immigration.
The future of “Alligator Alcatraz” now rests on the court’s final determination of whether federal environmental laws were overlooked.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
