Environmental Groups Sue to Halt ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Over Everglades Damage

MIAMI — Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe urged a federal judge on Wednesday to halt construction and operations at a new immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, citing violations of environmental protection laws.

The facility — nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” — was recently built on an isolated airstrip owned by Miami-Dade County. Located in environmentally sensitive wetlands, the center is capable of housing thousands of detainees. The plaintiffs are asking U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams to issue a preliminary injunction to stop further work on the site until environmental regulations are followed.

Challenge Focuses on Federal Environmental Law

The lawsuit claims that construction of the facility violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 55-year-old law that requires environmental reviews and public input before federal projects move forward. Although the state of Florida built the facility, the lawsuit argues that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and therefore the project is subject to federal law.

“The construction of a detention center is an action that is necessarily subject to federal control and responsibility,” the plaintiffs said in a recent filing. “The State of Florida has no authority or jurisdiction to enforce federal immigration law.”

Amber Crooks of the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the plaintiffs, testified that no public review notice was posted, despite her regular visits to the area. Under NEPA, federal agencies must evaluate environmental impacts, consider alternatives, and allow for public comment before breaking ground.

Lawmakers Tour Facility Under Construction

Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani, who visited the site on July 12 with other state and federal officials, described an active construction zone. She reported newly erected tents, fresh asphalt, and temporary lighting. Kevin Guthrie, head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, told the group that the facility could house 4,000 detainees by the end of August. According to Eskamani, approximately 1,000 workers are already involved in the site, with some living onsite and others commuting.

Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, testified that the detention center threatens to reverse billions of dollars’ worth of Everglades restoration. Her organization was founded by conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1969 to oppose a proposed airport at the same site.

During cross-examination, state attorneys asked Samples whether her organization had taken action against the airstrip’s development in the past decade. She acknowledged that they had not, adding, “Victories are sometimes imperfect.”

Venue Dispute May Delay Ruling

Attorneys for the federal and state governments have asked Judge Williams to dismiss or transfer the case, arguing that the Southern District of Florida is the wrong venue. Although the airstrip is owned by Miami-Dade County, the detention center sits within neighboring Collier County, which falls under the Middle District.

Judge Williams has not yet ruled on the venue issue.

Second Facility in the Works

While the legal fight continues, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration appears to be planning a second detention center. State records show that a contract has been awarded for a project known as the “North Detention Facility,” to be located at a Florida National Guard training site in north Florida.

A separate lawsuit challenging the Everglades facility, filed by civil rights organizations, will be heard August 18. That suit alleges that detainees are being held without charges, denied legal representation, and blocked from bond hearings.