A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration and Florida authorities from sending any new detainees to the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration facility.
The ruling also requires existing detainees to be relocated within 60 days, citing the failure of both federal and state officials to complete necessary environmental reviews before constructing the detention site in the Everglades, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In her ruling, Southern District of Florida Federal Judge Kathleen Williams also ordered the state and federal administrations to begin dismantling fencing, lighting, gas, sewage, power generators and other items used to set up the facility.
The judge noted she expects a “programmatic” winding down of the detainee population at the site within 60 days to allow the equipment and fencing removal to be done “in a safe, humane, and responsible manner.”
The judge acknowledged the government was under “pressure to respond and regulate” immigration, but noted that the federal and state governments shared “little to no evidence why this detention camp” in the Everglades was “uniquely suited and critical to that mission.”
Williams then chastised government officials, saying it was apparent that “in their haste to construct the detention camp, the state did not consider alternative locations.”
Shortly after the ruling, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration filed a notice saying it intended to appeal the ruling before the Eleventh Circuit federal appellate court.
