A federal appeals court has halted a judge’s order requiring Florida and the federal government to shut down a controversial immigration detention center in the Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
On Thursday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted requests from Florida and the Department of Homeland Security to stay a district court’s preliminary injunction, which would have forced the facility to close within 60 days. The injunction was a temporary measure pending a final ruling in the case.
“After careful consideration, we grant the defendants’ motions and we stay the preliminary injunction and the underlying case itself pending appeal,” ruled the three appellate judges in the order.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called this a “victory against an activist judge” in a social media post.
“The 11th Circuit not only blocked Judge (Kathleen) Williams’ order to close Alligator Alcatraz, but they blocked her from proceeding with the case until the appeal is complete. A win for Florida and President Trump’s agenda!” Uthmeier wrote.
In July, the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport was quickly converted from an 11,000-foot runway into a temporary tent city for migrants.
Since then, the facility has faced sharp criticism over conditions described as sweltering, insect-infested, and undersupplied with food, though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, both of whom have toured the facility, pushed back on those allegations as meritless.
Democratic Lawmakers who toured the site have called for its immediate closure. “The project creates irreparable harm in the form of habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species in the area,” US District Judge Kathleen Williams said in her order in late August.
