Federal Judge Orders Florida Alligator Alcatraz Closure Amid Environmental, Human Rights Concerns

A federal judge has ordered Florida to begin shutting down the controversial immigration detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz within 60 days, prohibiting the state and federal governments from bringing in new detainees or expanding the site. The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, who argued that the facility's construction violated federal environmental laws and harmed the Everglades. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost has condemned the detention center, describing it as an inhumane internment camp with detainees held in cramped cages and tents under harsh conditions, and has called for its closure. Frost's tours of the facility revealed poor conditions, including overcrowding and environmental hazards like leakage from trailers and bathrooms. State officials maintain the facility meets all required standards, but critics argue it serves more as a political distraction than a secure detention center. The court's temporary injunction aims to make the site uninhabitable, and Frost and other lawmakers await a final ruling that could lead to the facility's permanent closure.