|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A U.S. federal judge has ordered the shutdown of the migrant detention facility in Florida known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” citing severe environmental damage to the Florida Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ruling, issued by District Judge Kathleen Williams, mandates that operations at the site be wound down within 60 days. It prohibits the admission of new detainees and bans further construction or expansion. The facility, built on a repurposed airstrip in a swamp near Miami, was designed to hold up to 3,000 individuals. Its nickname derives from the surrounding wildlife—alligators, crocodiles, and pythons—which former President Donald Trump once claimed would deter escape attempts.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe filed suit against the facility, arguing it violated federal environmental laws and threatened fragile ecosystems. Judge Williams agreed, stating the project lacked proper ecological assessments and posed irreversible harm to protected species and restoration efforts.
“This order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfill those promises,” Williams wrote, referencing decades of bipartisan support for Everglades conservation.
The state of Florida, which co-developed the site with the Trump administration, has filed an appeal challenging the decision.
Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, hailed the ruling as a “landmark victory,” adding: “It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government”.
