Alligator Alcatraz roundtable by The White House / Flickr
A federal judge Aug. 7 ordered a 14-day pause on construction at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility while environmental groups challenge the project in court.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the temporary restraining order after two days of hearings in Miami, The Hill reported. The order freezes new pavement, lighting, fencing, excavation, and other infrastructure work but allows the facility to continue operations.
Authorized by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in late June, the state-run complex is designed to hold up to 5,000 detainees and serve as a central hub for detaining, processing, and deporting illegal immigrants, CatholicVote reported.
According to the order, Williams’ decision followed two days of expert testimony, which detailed harm posed by industrial lighting and 20 acres of new pavement built on the site. Experts said construction poses “serious risks” to endangered species like the Florida panther and the Florida bonneted bat.
On June 27, Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe sued, alleging the state and federal government bypassed the National Environmental Policy Act. The law requires environmental reviews and public comment for major projects, according to the lawsuit.
Florida officials argue the facility is funded and operated entirely by the state and sits on an airstrip with a long history of military and aviation use.
In a statement cited by Axios, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the lawsuit “ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade.”
She said it is “another attempt to prevent the president from fulfilling the American people’s mandate for mass deportations. These environmental activists and activist judge don’t care about the invasion of our country facilitated by the Biden administration, but the American people do.”
DeSantis responded to the news in an Aug. 7 X post, writing, “Operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing.”
Hearings will resume Aug. 12, when the state is expected to present its witnesses.
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