Photos by B. Scott McLendon
Audio By Carbonatix
It appears that Alligator Alcatraz might not be going anywhere just yet.
On Thursday, the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a judge’s order that required Florida officials to tear down the controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades over environmental concerns – marking a temporary victory for Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump.
The federal appeals court sided with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the state of Florida, which runs the site, and paused a judge’s order requiring the state to wind down operations at the facility within 60 days, among other things.
“After careful consideration, we grant the defendants’ motions and we stay the preliminary injunction and the underlying case itself pending appeal,” the three appellate judges ruled.
Victory secured against activist judge who held me in contempt!
The 11th Circuit not only blocked Judge Williams’ order to close Alligator Alcatraz, but they blocked her from proceeding with the case until the appeal is complete.
A win for Florida and President Trump’s agenda!
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) September 4, 2025
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier celebrated the ruling in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“A win for Florida and President Trump’s agenda!” he wrote.
In late August, fifty-two days after Florida’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) quickly constructed the facility at the site at the remote Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a little-used airstrip in the middle of the swampy Everglades, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered the state to begin dismantling it over environmental concerns.
The 82-page ruling prohibited the state from admitting new detainees to the site and required officials to begin tearing down parts of the hastily constructed tent city, which the Trump administration touted as a place to hold the “worst of the worst” criminals before removing them from the country.
Williams ruled that while the facility could temporarily remain operational, the state couldn’t expand it or bring new detainees there.
Williams’ ruling came in response to a federal lawsuit filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, who challenged federal, state, and Miami-Dade County officials ahead of Alligator Alcatraz’s opening, arguing the project skipped federally required environmental review and denied the public a chance to weigh in.
In Williams’ ruling, she pointed to expert testimony that repurposing the site created “a myriad of risks” for the Everglades, including runoff and wastewater discharge. She noted testimony indicating the new lighting alone had shrunk the endangered Florida panther’s habitat by 2,000 acres.
The latest ruling leaves the immigrant detention facility in limbo, but environmental advocates say the legal battle is still in its infancy.
“The case is far from over. In fact, it’s just starting, and we’re committed to fighting on. The court entered a limited stay order. While disappointing, we never expected ultimate success to be easy. We’re hopeful the preliminary injunction will be affirmed when it’s reviewed on its merits during the appeal,” Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, says. “In the meantime, if the DeSantis and Trump administrations choose to ramp operations back up at the detention center, they will just be throwing good money after bad because this ill-considered facility – which is causing harm to the Everglades – will ultimately be shut down.”
Elise Bennett, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, tells New Times the appeals court ruling is a “heartbreaking blow to America’s Everglades and every living creature there, but the fight isn’t even close to over.”
“The 11th Circuit’s order only pauses the district court’s injunction, and I’m confident we will ultimately prevail in defending the heart of Florida from this brutal and destructive facility,” Bennett said.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.
