A worker placing the “Alligator Alcatraz” sign on July 3, 2025 at the entrance to the then-new migrant detention facility in Ochopee, Florida. Rebecca Blackwell/ AP
A federal judge in Miami has ruled that operations at the controversial detention facility Alligator Alcatraz must begin to wind down, ordering state and federal officials to stop transferring detainees there and relocate current detainees within 60 days.
Two weeks after US District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, ordered a temporary pause on any new construction at Alligator Alcatraz, in response to a suit by environmental groups, she has now ordered the dismantling of equipment at the detention camp, such as fencing, lighting, generators, and other infrastructure. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a notice indicating the state would appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
The US Department of Homeland Security previously said in court filings that it was not in charge of operations at Alligator Alcatraz, and the facility was solely the responsibility of Florida, “using state funds on state lands under state emergency authority.” The state argued that the environmental groups that had filed the lawsuit are seeking relief under the National Environmental Policy Act, which does not apply to state agencies.
But in her 82-page ruling filed on Thursday night, Williams disagreed. “The project was requested by the federal government; built with a promise of full federal funding; constructed in compliance with ICE standards; staffed by deputized ICE Task Force Officers acting under color of federal authority and at the direction and supervision of ICE officials,” she wrote, “and exists for the sole purpose of detaining and deporting those subject to federal immigration enforcement.”
“While the Defendants repeatedly espouse the importance of immigration enforcement, they offered little to no evidence why this detention camp, in this particular location, is uniquely suited and critical to that mission.”
“While the Defendants repeatedly espouse the importance of immigration enforcement, they offered little to no evidence why this detention camp, in this particular location, is uniquely suited and critical to that mission,” the order continued.
As I wrote in June, two environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court against federal and state officials to halt the Alligator Alcatraz project. They argued that construction proceeded without an environmental review or opportunity for public comment, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. On Friday, the plaintiffs applauded Williams’s ruling. “This decision 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,” Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, said in a written statement.
For weeks, plaintiffs have filed declarations building their case for how the detention camp could potentially impact the neighboring ecosystems and wildlife. Traffic to and from the detention site increases the likelihood of panthers being struck by vehicles, according to court filings, and light pollution could destroy the nighttime foraging abilities of bats in the area.
Last week, Williams concluded a four-day hearing during which she heard testimony from ten witnesses and reviewed hundreds of exhibits. She questioned Jesse Panuccio, an attorney representing the state of Florida, asking for reasons to justify the decision to build a detention center in the Everglades in the first place, according to CNN. Florida wildlife experts also testified about the potential harm to animals in the area. Increased activity, one expert testified, would interfere with the mating habits of endangered panthers, UPI reported.
During the hearing, members of the environmental team from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians testified that 80 percent of the Tribe’s “residences, two schools, and the Tribal governmental building, are all located in the Miccosukee Reserved Area, a few miles southeast” of the detention camp, Williams’s order states. Any “uncontained wastewater or run-off” leaving the site would likely flow into the Miccosukee Reserved Area.
From the beginning, the camp has been mired in controversy. Hastily erected in late June on a remote airfield by Big Cypress National Preserve, it is predicted to cost $450 million per year to run. As reported by family members, attorneys, and lawmakers, the facility has been fraught with malfunctioning air conditioners, scarce food, and rampant mosquitoes. Detainees are offered no recreational time and are held in large white tents, each containing 32 beds and three toilets. They are separated into chain-link fenced areas. State and federal officials running the center have previously stated that the camp would be for immigrants with criminal records, but as the Miami Herald reported in July, many detainees have no prior arrests. In July, nearly 1,000 detainees were being held at Alligator Alcatraz. This week, a Democratic lawmaker who visited the detention camp told reporters the number had dropped to 336.
Another Alligator Alcatraz ruling was issued this week. In a separate lawsuit filed in July, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged that attorneys could not reach their clients held at the detention camp. They reported being unable to schedule appointments with clients and the government’s failure to designate an immigration court that would accept filings from detainees held at Alligator Alcatraz. Earlier this week, a federal judge dismissed part of the lawsuit after the government designated an immigration court for Alligator Alcatraz detainees.
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to demand information about Alligator Alcatraz. More than 60 US lawmakers signed a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security this week requesting details about its operations, the Florida Phoenix reported, including whether the facility is following federal standards for the treatment of detainees and details on inspections. “Given that DHS is working directly with the Florida state government on a detention facility with alarming implications,” the letter states, “DHS should ensure transparency and accountability surrounding the facility’s financing operations.” This request may be moot if Williams’s orders are obeyed, but given the state’s interest in appealing, the court case and the operations of Alligator Alcatraz will likely continue.