On August 7, 2025, a federal judge temporarily halted new construction at the controversial 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center, located deep within the Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida. The facility, built to house thousands of migrants awaiting deportation, has become a lightning rod in the ongoing debate over U.S. immigration policy and environmental protection.
The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, came as a response to a lawsuit filed by an alliance of environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. The plaintiffs contend that the detention center’s rapid approval and construction bypassed essential public feedback and environmental review, in violation of federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). According to Inside Climate News, these laws require federal agencies to conduct thorough environmental impact statements before proceeding with projects that could affect sensitive ecosystems.
Judge Williams’ order, effective for 14 days, bars the state and its contractors from engaging in any new paving, filling, excavation, installation of fencing, or new lighting. The order also prohibits the construction of new buildings, tents, or industrial-style lighting at the site during this period. However, ongoing daily detention operations at the facility are permitted to continue, meaning migrants already housed there remain in place and deportations proceed as scheduled.
The 'Alligator Alcatraz' facility, championed by President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was designed as a "pop-up" detention center with an initial capacity of 2,000 inmates, with plans to expand to 4,000 by the end of August. State officials, including Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, have indicated the ultimate goal is to house up to 5,000 migrants at the site. According to NPR, the project has moved at breakneck speed, with the facility itself reportedly built in just eight days—a fact that has only intensified scrutiny from environmental advocates and local residents alike.
The lawsuit that led to the construction halt named several high-profile defendants: Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; Kevin Guthrie; Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Miami-Dade County, which owns the land. The state’s legal team argued that because the project was initiated and operated by Florida’s state government, federal environmental review requirements did not apply. Judge Williams, however, rejected this argument, citing evidence that federal agencies retained significant control over the facility’s operations and that the Department of Homeland Security had requested its construction.
In her written order, Williams stated, “At this early stage, the Court finds that, at minimum, the Federal Defendants’ legal control over the Facility’s operations, evidence that the Facility’s construction was at the request of DHS, and the regular inspections of the site by ICE officials, combined with the undisputed lack of any prior environmental assessment pursuant to NEPA, create a sufficient likelihood of success” for the plaintiffs’ claim.
The environmental stakes are high. The site sits within a vital watershed that supplies drinking water to thousands of Floridians and is home to the endangered Florida panther—fewer than 250 of which remain in the wild. Randy Kautz, a wildlife ecologist, testified that he was "surprised the panther’s plight had not been considered in advance of the detention center," adding, “I would have expected consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for potential impacts on the Florida panther, as well as other species in the area.”
Light pollution from the facility has become another flashpoint. Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, noted that lights at the site are visible from up to 15 miles away, potentially disrupting nocturnal wildlife. "That is one major concern, impact on Everglades wetlands," Samples told Gulf Coast News. "The Everglades is a vast interconnected system of wetlands. If there’s pollution in one area, it can have dire effects downstream." After consulting with hydrologists and stormwater experts, Friends of the Everglades identified about 20 acres of new asphalt at the site—raising further alarm about the project’s environmental footprint.
Reactions to the ruling have been predictably polarized. Environmental groups and tribal representatives celebrated the decision. “The court’s decision to grant a temporary restraining order is a win for common sense, the rule of law and the Everglades,” Samples said in a statement provided to Inside Climate News. “The National Environmental Policy Act is a bedrock federal protection that must be followed. The law exists to ensure that destructive projects like this cannot proceed without a full and transparent review of their environmental impacts. This fight is far from over, but for the next 14 days, the heart of the Everglades is spared from more irreversible harm.”
Betty Osceola, a member of the Miccosukee Tribe who lives less than four miles from the facility, expressed skepticism about whether authorities would comply with the court order. “They haven’t followed the process from the get-go so I don’t trust that they’ll follow this court order either,” she said.
On the other side, state and federal officials have pushed back forcefully. Governor DeSantis, posting on X (formerly Twitter), insisted that “operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing.” His communications director, Alex Lanfranconi, dismissed the judge as “an activist judge,” a sentiment echoed by Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. In a statement provided to Axios, McLaughlin said, “[The ruling] is another attempt to prevent the president from fulfilling the American people’s mandate for mass deportations. These environmental activists and activist judge don’t care about the invasion of our country facilitated by the Biden administration, but the American people do.”
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, in Miami. Meanwhile, protesters from across the country have gathered outside the facility’s gates, voicing concerns about both immigration policy and environmental degradation. “This particular place, in addition, is ruining the Everglades. That’s like the icing on the cake,” said Debby Vagda, a protester from Oregon.
As the legal battle continues, the future of 'Alligator Alcatraz' remains uncertain. The case stands at the intersection of two of America’s most contentious policy debates—immigration enforcement and environmental stewardship—leaving both the Everglades and the migrants within its borders in a precarious limbo.