Mary Kay burns incense astatine the entranceway to the state-managed migration detention halfway dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, located astatine the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport successful the Florida Everglades connected August 03, 2025 successful Ochopee, Florida.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
A national justice connected Thursday ordered a temporary halt to operation astatine an immigration detention center — built successful the mediate of the Florida Everglades and dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" — arsenic attorneys reason whether it violates biology laws.
The installation tin proceed to run and clasp detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but workers volition beryllium barred from adding immoderate caller filling, paving oregon infrastructure for the adjacent 14 days. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the ruling during a proceeding and said she volition contented a written bid aboriginal Thursday.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have asked Williams to contented a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction. The suit claims the task threatens environmentally delicate wetlands that are location to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars' worthy of biology restoration.
Plaintiffs presented witnesses Wednesday and Thursday successful enactment of the injunction, portion attorneys for the authorities and national authorities were scheduled to contiguous adjacent week.
Following Thursday's testimony, Paul Schwiep, an lawyer for the biology groups, asked Williams to contented a temporary restraining bid that would astatine slightest forestall immoderate caller operation astatine the tract portion the preliminary injunction was argued.
Williams asked Florida attorney Jesse Panuccio if the authorities would hold to halt operation truthful that she wouldn't request to contented the restraining order. She pointed retired that thing built astatine the tract would apt stay determination permanently, careless of however the lawsuit was yet decided.
Panuccio said helium couldn't warrant that the authorities would halt each work.
This sparked an hour-long proceeding astir the temporary restraining order, which volition beryllium successful spot for the adjacent 2 weeks portion the inactive ongoing preliminary injunction proceeding continues.
The crux of the plaintiffs' statement is that the detention installation violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires national agencies to measure the biology effects of large operation projects.
Panuccio said during the proceeding that though the detention halfway would beryllium holding national detainees, the operation and cognition of the installation is wholly nether the authorities of Florida, meaning the NEPA reappraisal wouldn't apply.
Schwiep said the intent of the installation is for migration enforcement, which is exclusively a national function. He said the installation wouldn't beryllium if it wasn't for the national government's tendency for a installation to clasp detainees.
Williams said Thursday that the detention installation was astatine a minimum a associated concern betwixt the authorities and national government.
The suit in Miami against national and authorities authorities is 1 of 2 ineligible challenges to the South Florida detention halfway which was built much than a period agone by the authorities of Florida on an isolated airstrip owned by Miami-Dade County.
A 2nd lawsuit brought by civilian rights groups says detainees' law rights are being violated since they are barred from gathering lawyers, are being held without immoderate charges, and a national migration tribunal has canceled enslaved hearings. A proceeding successful that lawsuit is scheduled for Aug. 18.
Under the 55-year-old national biology law, national agencies should person examined however the detention center's operation would interaction the environment, identified ways to minimize the interaction and followed different procedural rules specified arsenic allowing nationalist comment, according to the biology groups and the tribe.
It makes nary quality that the detention halfway holding hundreds of detainees was built by the authorities of Florida since national agencies person authorization implicit immigration, the suit said.
Attorneys for national and authorities agencies past week asked Williams to disregard oregon transportation the injunction request, saying the suit was filed in the incorrect jurisdiction. Even though the spot is owned by Miami-Dade County, Florida's confederate territory is the incorrect venue for the suit since the detention halfway is located successful neighboring Collier County, which is successful the state's mediate district, they said.
Williams had yet to rule on that argument.
The lawsuits were being heard as Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ′ medication seemingly was preparing to build a 2nd migration detention center at a Florida National Guard training halfway successful north Florida. At slightest 1 declaration has been awarded for what's labeled successful authorities records arsenic the "North Detention Facility."
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