Overview

• Judge Kathleen Williams has ordered a 14-day halt to all new construction at Alligator Alcatraz pending resolution of an environmental lawsuit.
• The center continues to operate with its current 2,000-bed capacity while plans to expand to 4,000 beds remain on hold.
• Plaintiffs including Friends of the Everglades, the Miccosukee tribe and the Center for Biological Diversity contend that the project proceeded without mandatory NEPA reviews and threatens sensitive wetlands and protected species.
• State and federal agencies have challenged the lawsuit’s venue, arguing the facility falls under the Middle District of Florida rather than the Southern District.
• The Florida Division of Emergency Management has awarded a contract for weather monitoring at a proposed Camp Blanding “North Detention Facility,” marking progress on a second migrant camp in northern Florida.