US Judge Orders Shutdown of Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center

A federal judge has ordered the shutdown of President Donald Trump’s controversial migrant detention center in Florida, widely referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

According to the ruling, the facility has been causing significant environmental harm to the Florida Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Trump administration has been given 60 days to phase out its operations.

The 82-page decision also bans the transfer of any additional detainees to the center and blocks all new construction or expansion plans at the location.

Florida, which partnered with the Trump administration on the project, has already filed an appeal challenging the ruling.

The court’s decision marks a major setback for Trump’s plans for the detention facility, which has drawn sharp criticism over both its conditions and its potential impact on the delicate Everglades ecosystem.

In Thursday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed by former President Barack Obama, concluded that the center is causing “irreparable harm” to the Everglades and its endangered wildlife.

She also ordered the shutdown of “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste receptors,” a move that will severely disrupt the center’s operations.

Judge Williams referenced a plan from the 1960s to build a tourist airport in the Everglades that was abandoned due to environmental concerns.

“Since that time, every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and countless local and national political figures, including presidents, have publicly pledged their unequivocal support for the restoration, conservation, and protection of the Everglades,” she wrote.

“This order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfil those promises.”

The decision represents a preliminary injunction, temporarily halting operations at the facility while a lawsuit filed by environmental groups moves forward.

Environmental advocates who brought the case celebrated the ruling.

“This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperilled wilderness should be protected, not exploited,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.

“It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government – and there are consequences for ignoring them.”

Thursday’s decision follows an earlier temporary restraining order from Judge Williams issued earlier this month, which stopped construction at the site.

Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” the facility was promoted as a key element of the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to illegal immigration enforcement.

Located deep within a Miami-area swamp, the site earned its nickname because of the surrounding wildlife, including alligators, crocodiles, and pythons — which Trump once suggested would deter detainees from attempting escape.

The center was built to house up to 3,000 detainees and was envisioned as a model for future facilities supporting Trump’s broader deportation agenda.

During a visit to the site in July, Trump praised its purpose and capacity to hold the “most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”

However, since its opening, the detention center has faced multiple lawsuits and growing opposition from local residents and environmental groups.

Experts have repeatedly warned that the environmental damage caused by the project threatens decades of restoration efforts in the Everglades, an undertaking that has already cost Florida billions of dollars.

{Matzav.com}