August 21, 2025
A little bit of late night breaking news – “Alligator Alcatraz” basically needs to be shut down.
That’s according to a Florida federal judge who just issued a preliminary injunction against the state of Florida and the Trump administration.
In her ruling the judge said that the state of Florida and the Trump administration must immediately stop construction and must stop bringing new detainees to the facility and within 60 days must start dismantling the facility and moving those being housed there out.
But this is not happening because of any civil rights violations. This is happening because the judge found the state and federal government violated environmental laws by constructing this makeshift facility right in the middle of the Big Cypress National Preserve in the Florida Everglades.
An environmental group called Friends of the Everglades along with the Miccosukee tribe sued both the state and the Trump administration. The tribe argues this detention facility in the everglades is a problem because of its “proximity to the tribe’s villages, sacred and ceremonial sites, traditional hunting grounds, and other lands protected by the tribe raises significant concerns about environmental degradation.” The environmental groups say the trump administration did not follow proper environmental procedures nor did they conduct an environmental impact review prior to the construction of the facility so it needs to go. They say having thousands of detainees and possibly thousands more poses serious threats to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem, endangered species, the florida panthers and clean water and dark night skies.
In her 82-page ruling the judge said she finds that there is extensive evidence that demonstrates the environmental harm to the everglades, to the tribe and to the water directly because of this detention facility. Her ruling acknowledges the trump administration’s efforts to enforce immigration laws and says that is a valid endeavor but she says the trump administration gave her no evidence as to why those immigration efforts have to happen on a national preserve in the middle of the Florida Everglades.
The state of Florida has already said they will appeal this ruling. This is not over yet.
Read the order from the judge here.
Read the statement from the Friends of the Everglades here.
