President Donald Trump’s beloved Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center in Florida may be in trouble after a federal Obama-era appointed judge ordered a temporary halt to construction.
Opened in July, the detention center, located in the middle of the Florida Everglades, has been touted by the White House as the crown jewel of the administration’s deportation policy.
During its opening ceremony, Trump toured the facility while standing alongside a cast of Republican allies, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
At the time, the president claimed the new detention center ‘might be as good as the real Alcatraz.’
In only a matter of weeks, Alligator Alcatraz was built to hold more than 3,000 migrant detainees. The facility features tents, trailers and other temporary living utilities needed to house the migrants.
However, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Mary Williams authorized a temporary restraining order on Thursday following testimony about the environmental impact of the facility.
The judge will allow the Florida government and the Trump administration to continue using the facility to house detainees but will limit additional construction for the next two weeks.
Environmental groups along with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida argued to the judge that the facility could cause harm to the Everglades ecosystem.
Alligator Alcatraz may continue operations despite the injunction by the Obama-era federal judge
Trump claimed the facility ‘might be as good as the real Alcatraz’
The lawsuit claims the facility could endanger the ecosystem of the Florida everglades
The area in which Alligator Alcatraz is located is home to endangered species such as the Florida Panther.
Environmentalists claimed the detention was completed without concluding proper impact studies.
‘We welcome the court’s decision to pause construction on this deeply concerning project,’ said Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress in a statement. ‘The detention facility threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive but sacred to our people.’
Alligator Alcatraz sits adjacent to villages and sacred sites belonging to the Miccosukee Tribe. Last month, the tribe joined environmentalists in the lawsuit, claiming the facility would damage nearby properties.
Cypress added, ‘While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades.’
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier claimed the judge’s ruling ‘is wrong’ and vowed to ‘fight it.’
‘However, it does not shut down Alligator Alcatraz, which will continue to send illegal aliens back to where they came from,’ the statement concluded.
Environmentalists claimed further construction would endanger plants and animals in the wetlands as well as destroy environmental restoration estimated to have cost billions of dollars.
Alligator Alcatraz was built in only a matter of weeks to house 3,000 migrant detainees
Attorneys for the state of Florida argued that the detention center is exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act because it was initially funded by the state government.
The judge made the decision after the plaintiffs presented witnesses on Wednesday and Thursday supporting the injunction.
Attorneys for the state and federal government are scheduled to present their witnesses next week.
