Trump faces big blow as judge orders Alligator Alcatraz to shut down in 60 days, no new inmates. Know the reason

A federal court in Florida ruled Thursday that the state cannot bring additional people to the Everglades detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz". Much of US President Donald Trump's controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention centre in Florida must be dismantled, and no more migrants should be taken there, a judge has ruled.

The preliminary injunction also requires the state to halt further expansion and to remove fencing, generators, lighting and waste receptacles within 60 days.

Why Aligator Alcatraz will be shut down

According to the ruling, the Florida facility was causing severe environmental damage to the Florida Everglades - a Unesco World Heritage Site - and gave the Trump administration 60 days to wind down its operations. US District Judge Kathleen Williams said she expects inmates to be transferred to other facilities during the following 60 days.


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Her ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the Miccosukee tribe and environmental activists, who claimed that the facility's construction imposes on the Everglades' endangered species and drinking water sources used by many Floridians.

The 82-page ruling delivers a blow to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Trump, who applauded the facility and encouraged other states to replicate it. Shortly after DeSantis administration officials announced plans for the facility, environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued, arguing it violated the National Environmental Policy Act.

The law requires that environmental studies be conducted before any "major" federal action or construction project. The groups had requested that the site be temporarily shut down while the lawsuit played out.

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What did the judge say?

Both the DeSantis and Trump administrations have said the facility has had zero impact on the environment, citing the airstrip that was already on the site before they built the facility. But the court cited testimony that repurposing the site has resulted in "a myriad of risks" to its sensitive surroundings, including runoff and wastewater discharge that could harm the Everglades, reports Axios.

The judge noted testimony indicating the new lighting alone had reduced the habitat for the protected Florida panther by 2,000 acres.She also noted that testimony from the Miccosukee Tribe indicated that its members lost access to trails they'd previously used for hunting and harvesting ceremonial and medicinal plants.

Williams concluded the state failed to evaluate the impact of expanding that airstrip into a detention facility and "consulted with no stakeholders or experts and did no evaluation of the environmental risks." "Here, there weren't 'deficiencies' in the agency's process," Williams wrote. "There was no process."

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"This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperiled wilderness should be protected, not exploited," said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

"It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government — and there are consequences for ignoring them."

Florida files appeal

The state of Florida, which is partnering with the Trump administration in the building of the site, has already filed an appeal. Shortly after the ruling was issued, Florida's Division of Emergency Management executive director Kevin Guthrie appealed.

DeSantis told Fox News he "expected an adverse ruling" and knew they would immediately appeal. "We will ultimately be successful in this. It's not going to stop our resolve," he added. "So we anticipated this, but I don't think it's going to be insurmountable in the end."

The governor vowed to do all he could to help the Trump administration remove undocumented immigrants. The federal Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to Axios' Thursday evening request for comment.

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