Home / Environment / Federal Judge Blocks Expansion of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Immigration Detention Facility
Federal Judge Blocks Expansion of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Immigration Detention Facility
22 Aug
Summary
- Federal judge halts new construction at Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility
- Ruling sides with environmental groups who say facility endangers the Everglades
- Judge allows existing structures to remain but bars transfer of new detainees
In a significant legal development, a federal judge has issued an indefinite order halting new construction at Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention facility. The ruling, handed down on August 18th, 2025, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups who argued the facility is endangering the ecologically sensitive Everglades.
The judge's decision does not require the complete closure of the detention center, but it does bar the state from transferring any new detainees to the site. The existing structures can remain in use, but the judge has prohibited the addition of any new tents, paving, or excavation work. Temporary fencing, light fixtures, and generators must also be removed within 60 days.
The ruling represents a setback for Florida's Republican-led state government, which has been actively supporting the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies. The state had sought to convert the former airfield into an expanded detention center, but the court has now intervened to protect the Everglades and its wildlife.
The judge's order underscores the ongoing tensions between the state's immigration agenda and its commitment to environmental preservation. For decades, Florida's political leaders have pledged to safeguard the Everglades, and this latest ruling upholds those promises by halting the detention facility's expansion.
