WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed Florida’s controversial immigration detention centre in the Everglades—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”—to remain open, overturning a lower court order that had blocked new detainees and ordered the facility dismantled.
The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta granted state and federal authorities’ request to pause last month’s Miami court ruling that halted operations. Opened in July, the site made Florida the first state to run its own immigration detention facility, a role typically handled by the federal government. The Department of Homeland Security told the court it was not involved in managing the centre.
The appeals judges held that the lower court had misapplied environmental law, ruling that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) did not apply since Florida had fully funded and operated the facility. Even if the federal government reimbursed costs later, the judges said, it would not qualify as a federal project.
Governor Ron DeSantis welcomed the verdict, declaring the centre “open for business.” Environmental groups opposing the project said they would continue legal challenges, warning of serious risks to the Everglades ecosystem.
