Florida ordered to undo Alligator Alcatraz due to environmental risks
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem tour the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center in Ochopee, Florida, in July. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
A federal judge in a ruling Thursday night prohibited state and federal officials from bringing new detainees to Alligator Alcatraz, the hastily built immigration detention site in the Everglades.
- The ruling also demanded the state begin dismantling elements of the facility — including temporary fencing, lighting fixtures and generators, among other equipment — within 60 days.
Why it matters: U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams' 82-page ruling delivers a blow to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump, who applauded the facility and encouraged other states to replicate it.
Catch up quick: Shortly after DeSantis administration officials announced plans for the facility, environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued, arguing it violated the National Environmental Policy Act.
- The law requires that environmental studies be conducted before any "major" federal action or construction project.
- The groups had requested that the site be temporarily shut down while the lawsuit played out.
- Construction was paused earlier this month, following a judge's order.
Both the DeSantis and Trump administrations have said the facility has had zero impact on the environment, citing the airstrip that was already on the site before they built the facility.
Yes, but: The court cited expert testimony that repurposing the site has resulted in "a myriad of risks" to its sensitive surroundings, including runoff and wastewater discharge that could harm the Everglades.
- Williams noted testimony indicating the new lighting alone had reduced the habitat for the protected Florida panther by 2,000 acres.
- She also noted that testimony from the Miccosukee Tribe indicated that its members lost access to trails they'd previously used for hunting and harvesting ceremonial and medicinal plants.
The bottom line: Williams concluded the state failed to evaluate the impact of expanding that airstrip into a detention facility and "consulted with no stakeholders or experts and did no evaluation of the environmental risks."
- "Here, there weren't 'deficiencies' in the agency's process," Williams wrote. "There was no process."
What they're saying: "This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperiled wilderness should be protected, not exploited," said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
- "It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government — and there are consequences for ignoring them."
The other side: Shortly after the ruling was issued, Florida's Division of Emergency Management executive director Kevin Guthrie appealed.
- DeSantis told Fox News he "expected an adverse ruling" and knew they would immediately appeal.
- "We will ultimately be successful in this. It's not going to stop our resolve," he added. "So we anticipated this, but I don't think it's going to be insurmountable in the end."
- The governor vowed to do all he could to help the Trump administration remove undocumented immigrants.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said the ruling "ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade."
- "We have the law, the facts, and common sense on our side," she said.
More from Axios:
- Alligator Alcatraz leans on myth steeped in racism
- Inside Alligator Alcatraz, Florida's immigrant detention facility
- Florida spent more than $200 million to set up Alligator Alcatraz, records show
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Department of Homeland Security.