Federal Judge Orders Wind Down, Halts Construction at Everglades Detention Center

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting the expansion and new detainee intake at the Everglades immigration detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," ordering the removal of certain infrastructure within 60 days. The ruling came after environmental groups and Native American tribes filed lawsuits citing violations of environmental laws and threats to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem, endangered species, and sacred lands. The facility, built hastily on an abandoned Everglades airstrip, currently houses several hundred detainees and was constructed without required environmental reviews, drawing criticism over conditions and environmental impact. The injunction requires the state and federal defendants to cease construction activities beyond safety-related repairs and prohibits bringing new detainees to the site. Florida officials have appealed the ruling, while advocates view the decision as a significant victory for environmental protection and legal compliance. The judge emphasized the lack of adequate justification for the facility's location in the Everglades and mandated the gradual winding down of operations and infrastructure removal to mitigate environmental harm.