Federal Judge Orders Dismantling of Alligator Alcatraz

A federal judge ruled that "Alligator Alcatraz," an immigrant detention facility in Florida, cannot expand or bring in new detainees due to environmental concerns. 

The Details: Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argued that the center threatens sensitive wetlands and protected animals and plants under environmental law. US District Judge Kathleen Williams issued an 82-page ruling saying that the project created "irreparable harm" to endangered species, state officials failed to explain why the facility needed to be in the Florida Everglades, and ordering fencing, lighting, and generators to be removed within 60 days. The temporary injunction winds down operations while the lawsuit brought by environmental groups is heard. The Florida attorney general's office and Gov. Ron DeSantis filed an appeal. DeSantis said, "We totally expected an adverse ruling. And we also knew we were going to immediately appeal and get that decision stayed...We're going to continue to do what we need to do to help the Trump administration remove illegal aliens from our country." Hundreds of detainees were reportedly moved to other immigration facilities over the weekend, anticipating Williams' order.

For Context: The Florida facility has also been criticized for its reported conditions, with detainees saying they have to go days without showers or prescription medicine. "Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz dismissed parts of a suit brought by detainees, who alleged they were not being given sufficient access to lawyers," according to The Hill (Center bias).

How The Media Covered It: Fox News (Right) provided full quotes opposing the ruling from DeSantis and the attorney general's office, while the Washington Examiner (Lean Right) and New York Times (Lean Left) provided an abbreviated version of DeSantis' quote. BBC News (Center) and The Guardian (Left) did not quote DeSantis. The Guardian highlighted the "abuse of detainees and denial of due process" near the top of its article. 

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission.