Alligator Alcatraz can stay open, appeals judges say, rebuking lower court

• It's a victory for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Trump, who championed the site, and a defeat for migrant and environmental advocates.

Catch up quick: After the state opened the facility, environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued, arguing its construction violated the National Environmental Policy Act.

• Last month, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled in their favor, finding the state failed to evaluate the impact of turning an airstrip in the Everglades into a detention facility.
• Shortly after the ruling was issued, Florida appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Friction point: The Trump and DeSantis administrations have argued the facility has had zero impact on the environment because it was built on an existing but long-defunct airstrip.

• Environmental groups have cited newly constructed portions of the site, relying on expert testimony that repurposing the airstrip had already resulted in major risks to its sensitive surroundings

Driving the news: In its ruling, the appeals court dismissed Williams' findings, arguing she was wrong to determine that the environmentalists were likely to succeed in their lawsuit.

• Even had she been right, the appellate panel suggested, she went too far in ordering the facility to be dismantled rather than "at most" directing a halt to any further construction.

What they're saying: "We said we'd fight [Williams' ruling]; we'd said the mission would continue," DeSantis said in a video statement after the ruling.

• "Like we've always said, Alligator Alcatraz is open for business [and] we're going to continue leading the way" on immigration enforcement.

The other side: The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades, two environmental groups that spearheaded the lawsuit, decried the ruling.

• "This is a heartbreaking blow to America's Everglades and every living creature there, but the fight isn't even close to over," said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.

• "While disappointing, we never expected ultimate success to be easy. We're hopeful that the appeal of the preliminary injunction will be affirmed when it's reviewed on its merits during the appeal," said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.

Between the lines: The crux of the environmental groups' argument was that the facility violated the National Environmental Policy Act because officials failed to conduct environmental studies required by that law.

• Williams agreed, finding that officials "consulted with no stakeholders or experts and did no evaluation of the environmental risks."
• "Here, there weren't 'deficiencies' in the agency's process," she wrote. "There was no process."

Yes, but: The 11th Circuit noted that a recent Supreme Court ruling limited that law's scope, describing it as "a procedural cross-check" and not "a substantive roadblock" to government action.

• They also disagreed with Williams that the facility's construction constituted "major federal action," which is what triggers the environmental review requirement.

What's next: Thursday's ruling only paused Williams' earlier decision while the appeal filed by the government continues.