Federal Appeals Court Allows Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Facility to Remain Open

MIAMI, Florida –  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated a significant legal victory after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit blocked a lower court’s order to shut down the state’s controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center in the Everglades.

The 2-1 ruling halts the dismantling of the facility, which was ordered by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams due to alleged violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The decision allows operations to continue while the appeal process unfolds.

Built as a state-federal partnership to enhance immigration enforcement, “Alligator Alcatraz” is located on an abandoned airstrip in the Everglades and includes a 10,500-foot runway for deportation flights. The facility has a capacity of up to 3,000 to 5,000 detainees, depending on expansion phases.

The lawsuit, filed by environmental groups including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, argued that the facility threatens the surrounding Big Cypress National Preserve and endangered species, such as Florida panthers, without a required environmental impact statement.

In a post on X, DeSantis stated, “The mission continues at Alligator Alcatraz. The media was wrong. The leftist judge has been overturned. Florida will keep leading the way.” He also remarked, “Alligator Alcatraz is in fact, like we’ve always said, open for business,” and criticized the lower court’s ruling as implausible.

Critics, including environmental organizations and those concerned about detainee rights, have raised issues over potential harm to wetlands, inhumane conditions, and limited access to legal counsel.