Overview

• An 82-page preliminary injunction bars new detainee transfers and further construction and requires removal of fencing, industrial lighting, generators, and sewage and waste equipment within 60 days.
• U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said the project likely violated the National Environmental Policy Act and risks irreparable harm to Everglades wetlands and protected species.
• The court found the state-run site qualifies as a federal action because it operates under federal funding, standards, and direction, triggering environmental review obligations.
• Florida filed an immediate notice of appeal and may seek a stay, while hundreds of detainees have already been moved to other facilities.
• The lawsuit by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe succeeded at this stage, and a separate case over detainees’ access to counsel remains active.