Federal Judge Orders 60-Day Infrastructure Removal at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Site

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction barring Florida from bringing additional detainees to the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility in the Everglades and ordering the removal of significant infrastructure within 60 days. As noted in a tweet by Katrina vandenHeuvel, a judge has "bar[red] Florida from bringing more detainees to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’," a decision that marks a significant setback for the state's immigration enforcement efforts. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, sided with environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe who argued the facility violated federal law.

The 82-page ruling mandates that within two months, temporary fencing, industrial-style lighting, generators, and waste receptacles installed to support the project must be removed. This effectively renders the facility, located at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport within the Big Cypress National Preserve, largely uninhabitable for its intended purpose. The judge's decision builds on a temporary restraining order issued earlier, which had halted further construction.

Judge Williams cited extensive evidence of "irreparable harm" to the fragile Everglades ecosystem, including habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species due to light pollution and water runoff. The court found that the state and federal governments failed to conduct the required environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), stating there was "no process" to evaluate the risks. The Miccosukee Tribe also testified that the facility prevented members from accessing traditional hunting grounds and medicinal plants.

In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' administration immediately filed an appeal to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Governor DeSantis publicly stated he was "not going to be deterred" by the ruling, which he described as "preordained" by an "activist judge." He further announced plans for a new immigration processing facility, dubbed the "Deportation Depot," in Baker County, signaling the state's intent to continue its immigration enforcement agenda.

The "Alligator Alcatraz" facility, which opened in July and was touted by state and federal officials as a key part of immigration enforcement, has been the subject of multiple legal challenges and protests. Environmental advocates and tribal leaders welcomed the ruling as a "major victory" for the Everglades, emphasizing the importance of upholding environmental laws even in the context of national policy. The future of the site and the state's broader detention plans remain subject to ongoing legal battles.