Overview

• The 82-page preliminary injunction bars transferring any new detainees to the Dade-Collier site and stops further construction or paving.
• State and federal officials must remove fencing, lighting, generators and waste systems within 60 days, while existing structures can remain for now and safety repairs are permitted.
• Judge Kathleen Williams concluded the project bypassed required environmental reviews and is causing irreparable harm, citing impacts such as reduced Florida panther habitat and restricting Miccosukee access that the order restores by removing fencing.
• Florida filed a notice of appeal shortly after the ruling and is expected to seek a stay as the case heads toward the Eleventh Circuit.
• A separate detainee-rights case saw some claims dismissed after a court designation change, with remaining legal-access claims transferred to another federal court, and other states continue exploring similar detention capacity expansions.