Overview

• U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams barred any new filling, paving, infrastructure or lighting at Alligator Alcatraz for two weeks while allowing the facility to keep housing migrants.
• Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Miccosukee Tribe argue the rapid, state-led build skirted mandatory NEPA and ESA reviews in the federally protected preserve.
• Expert testimony highlighted risks from additional pavement, industrial lighting and increased traffic to wetlands, stormwater flow and endangered Florida panthers and bonneted bats.
• Civil rights advocates are set to return to court on Aug. 18 to challenge detainee conditions, citing limited legal access, unsanitary facilities and extreme heat.
• Florida officials are exploring a second state-operated detention center at Camp Blanding as the Everglades camp moves toward its planned 5,000-bed capacity.