A federal judge on Thursday temporarily halted construction at the ICE detention center in the Florida Everglades—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—amid environmental law concerns.
The facility can still hold detainees, but no new paving or infrastructure work is allowed for 14 days. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop operations and construction at the Everglades detention center, arguing it threatens protected wetlands and decades of restoration efforts.
After presenting witnesses, their attorney requested a temporary restraining order to pause construction while the case proceeds. Government attorneys are set to respond next week.
Judge Williams asked Florida attorney Jesse Panuccio if the state would voluntarily pause construction, noting any new work could become permanent. When Panuccio declined to guarantee a halt, she imposed a two-week temporary restraining order as the preliminary injunction hearing continues.
Plaintiffs argue the detention center violates the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires environmental reviews for federal projects. Panuccio claimed NEPA doesn’t apply since the facility is state-run. But Schwiep countered that it serves a federal immigration purpose and wouldn’t exist without federal involvement. Judge Williams noted the project is at least a state-federal partnership.
The Miami lawsuit is one of two challenging the South Florida detention center, built by the state on a remote Miami-Dade airstrip. A separate suit by civil rights groups claims detainees are being denied legal access, held without charges, and denied bond hearings. That case is set for an Aug. 18 hearing.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argue the detention center violates federal law by skipping required environmental reviews, public input, and impact mitigation. They say federal oversight applies regardless of Florida’s role, since the facility serves immigration enforcement. Government attorneys moved to dismiss or transfer the case, claiming it was filed in the wrong district, as the center sits in Collier County, not Miami-Dade. Judge Williams has not yet ruled on the venue issue.
As the lawsuits proceed, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration appears to be planning a second immigration detention center at a Florida National Guard site in North Florida. State records show at least one contract awarded for the “North Detention Facility.”
