Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Detention Center to Continue Operations
In a significant legal development, the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center located in the Florida Everglades will continue its operations following a decision by an appeals court. The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the facility was not subject to federal environmental law, as it is under state jurisdiction.
The three-judge panel reached this conclusion by noting that the facility was constructed by Florida officials on state land, using state funds. “Florida, not federal, officials constructed the facility,” the judges stated. “They control the land and ‘entirely’ built the facility at state expense.”
Previously, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams had called for the detention center to shut down, citing non-compliance with federal environmental regulations. However, the appellate court paused Williams’ order shortly after it was issued last August, stating that at the time, Florida had not received federal reimbursement for the facility.
The case has attracted attention from environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity. These organizations, who initially filed the lawsuit, plan to continue their legal battle as the case returns to the district court for further proceedings.
“This fight is far from over,” commented Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades. “Alligator Alcatraz was hastily erected in one of the most fragile ecosystems in the country without the most basic environmental review, at immense human and ecological cost.”
The facility was opened last summer as part of a broader strategy to support former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Allegations of detainee mistreatment have surfaced, with a lawyer recently claiming in court that guards had severely beaten and pepper-sprayed detainees.
In a dissenting opinion, Judge Nancy Abudu argued that immigration remains a federal responsibility. She stated that despite Florida’s involvement in building the center, the federal government cannot relinquish its authority over immigration matters. “The facility would not, and could not, have been built and used as an immigration detention center without the federal defendants’ request,” Abudu wrote.
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