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21m ago

Judge Pauses Alligator Alcatraz Expansion as Florida Unveils New Deportation Depot

A judge’s decision on whether to indefinitely block the Everglades tent camp comes as the state announces plans to repurpose a closed prison into a new deportation facility.

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FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference about a recent immigration enforcement operation, at the South Florida office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations, May 1, 2025, in Miramar, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file)
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This undated image provided by the Florida Department of Corrections shows signage for the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles west of downtown Jacksonville, Florida.

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams extended a two-week halt on new construction at the Everglades tent camp while hearing closing arguments on a preliminary injunction under environmental law.
  • Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argue that the makeshift site violates NEPA and harms sensitive wetlands and protected species, countered by state lawyers who say it’s built under Florida authority.
  • Alligator Alcatraz remains operational and holds hundreds of detainees despite ongoing litigation and reports of unsanitary, overcrowded conditions and limited legal access.
  • A separate civil-rights class-action case over detainee treatment and confidential counsel will resume with a preliminary injunction hearing before Judge Rodolfo Ruiz on August 18.
  • Governor Ron DeSantis announced the “Deportation Depot” at Baker Correctional Institution, aiming to add about 1,300 processing beds within weeks to ramp up deportation capacity.