Nearly two months after the hasty and controversial birth of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a federal judge has slammed the brakes on the operation, ruling that no more detainees can be sent to the remote migrant detention camp deep in the marshy wetlands of the Everglades.
Built in just a matter of days, the facility garnered sharp criticism for its treatment of migrants who have been confined in cages amid sweltering heat, bug infestations and meager meals, prompting members of Congress and state representatives that witnessed the conditions to demand its immediate closure.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction in a federal lawsuit filed by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. The Miccosukee Tribe, a Native American tribe whose reservation lies within miles of the facility, raised serious concerns about the impact the facility will have on their land and the environmentally sensitive area, including the plants and animals that inhabit the Everglades.
“The project creates irreparable harm in the form of habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species in the area,” Williams said in the order.
A preliminary injunction is a temporary order put in place until a court can make a final decision in a case. The state has initiated an appeal of the judge’s order, a spokesperson for the Florida attorney general said in a post on X.
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