A federal judge has mandated that the government dismantle a significant portion of "Alligator Alcatraz," one of the key immigration detention centers within President Trump's enforcement initiatives.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams from the Southern District of Florida stated on Thursday that the government has 60 days to dismantle fencing, lighting systems, generators, sewage infrastructure, and other significant components of the Florida facility. Additionally, she mandated a stop to any new construction and instructed that no new detainees should be accepted.
A Florida state representative submitted an appeal notice shortly after Williams's ruling was issued on Thursday evening.
The facility, intended to accommodate thousands of individuals, was constructed atop a rarely used airstrip within the Everglades wetlands reserve.Trump toured the facilitywith Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when it launched last month.
Two non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit in late June, claiming the government did not perform a necessary environmental impact assessment and overlooked other legal obligations. Supporters argued that the facility's activities would negatively affect the wetlands within the Big Cypress National Preserve and the endangered species—like the Florida panther and Florida bonneted bat—that inhabit the area.
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida became involved in the lawsuit shortly afterward, claiming that the discharge from the facility could contaminate their community located a few miles downstream, and posed a risk to plants used for religious and healing practices.
Williams stated in her ruling that the government was obligated to conduct an environmental review of the location prior to its construction, but "decided not to do so."
The decision represents a challenge to the Trump administration's plan to execute the most extensive deportation operation in American history. With increased funding from the recent Republican tax and spending bill, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been working quickly to increase its detention facilities to accommodate individuals arrested by the administration.
The Florida site was the first among multiple state-run immigrant detention centers that have received approval in recent months. Florida announced last week that it plans to establish a second facility in the northern region of the state.dubbed “Deportation Depot”; Indiana and Nebraska have also revealed intentions to construct buildings.
Trump appeared particularly fascinated by Alligator Alcatraz, mentioning in July the extensive hazardous wetlands that surround it.
That's not a location I'd like to go hiking anytime soon," he remarked at the time. "It could be just as good as the actual Alcatraz.
Although Williams's order permits certain housing structures to stay at the site, it is improbable that a large detention facility can continue operating there without the recent installations of electricity, water, and waste management systems.
The judge ordered the government to start dismantling the new, temporary buildings and paving once the existing population decreases to a level where safety issues become less of a concern.
The government claimed that the environmental review is only applicable to federal projects and should not limit a state-run initiative. It also stated that the lawsuit was filed in the incorrect district, and that the groups did not prove they would suffer irreparable harm since the site is already functioning as an airstrip.
Williams, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, dismissed those claims and determined that authorities should return the location to its prior condition, minimizing noise, light, and waste pollution from the detention center.
Every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and numerous local and national political leaders, including presidents, have openly stated their complete backing for the restoration, preservation, and safeguarding of the Everglades," she wrote. "This Order simply follows the fundamental requirements of laws created to keep those commitments.
The Department of Justice chose not to provide a statement. Neither the Florida Attorney General's office nor the Department of Homeland Security promptly responded to inquiries for a comment.
Environmental organizations that filed a lawsuit stated on Thursday evening that the order was essential for preserving the region's delicate ecosystem.
"This is the reason we have environmental regulations—to safeguard the wetlands and ecosystems that everyone relies on from unauthorized construction," stated Tania Galloni, managing attorney at the Florida branch of Earthjustice, a non-profit organization that advocates for the public interest and represents the parties involved in the case.
Earlier this month, in a different legal case, inmates at Alligator Alcatraz claimed the facility subjected them tounsafe and unsanitary conditionsincluding floods and unaddressed medical conditions, as well as difficulties in communicating with legal representatives.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, had previously stated that the facility complies with federal detention guidelines.
Write to Victoria Albert atvictoria.albert@wsj.com, Mariah Timms at mariah.timms@wsj.com and Joseph Pisani at joseph.pisani@wsj.com