Federal Judge Orders the Closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” in 60 Days.
By Robert Rojas
Alligator Alcatraz is being shut down in less than 60 days. On August 21st, a federal judge ordered the infamous immigration detention facility in the middle of the Florida Everglades to begin shutting down operations and not let in any more new detainees. The reasons for the closure have been cited as violations of environmental policy and poor humanitarian conditions.
Officially known as the South Florida Detention Facility, it was built during early July 2025 on a former airstrip in the training and transition Dade-Collier Airport, a previously abandoned project in the 1950s because of its possible damage to the Everglades, in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Support for the development of Alligator Alcatraz was mainly pushed by President Donald Trump. Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis worked towards making the President’s dreams a reality. The main reason for the construction of this facility was to keep promises made during the 2024 presidential campaign by President Donald Trump to uphold aggressive deportation efforts, the likes of which were implemented during his first term in office.
Governor Ron DeSantis hasn’t had a public reaction to this court ruling yet, but his communications director, Alex Lanfranconi, posted on X that “…the deportations will continue until morale improves.”
The person behind this ruling is Judge Kathleen Williams, Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Williams issued an 82-page ruling that demanded there be no new detainees let into the facility, and to also dismantle all of the temporary infrastructure, which includes fencing, lighting, generators, and more, within 60 days.
Williams’ main legal basis is citing that Alligator Alcatraz violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), since there was no environmental impact review conducted before the construction.
Indigenous communities living inside or close to the Big Cypress National Preserve, such as the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes, celebrated the closing of this facility as water consumption at Alligator Alcatraz impacted their tribes’ water supply. The Miccosukee Tribe even joined the case as a plaintiff and argued the detention site posed pollution risks to their food and water supplies.
Miami-Dade mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, said in an Instagram Reel posted on Friday that she is “…here at Alligator Alcatraz, uplifting the courageous decision made by Judge Williams.” Also labeling it as “reckless and dangerous,” saying warnings were ignored.
Isabella Aceituno, a sophomore at MLEC, had this to say regarding Alligator Alcatraz:
“The way that these immigrants are detained and treated conflicts with their fifth amendment and first amendment rights.” Additionally, Aceituno remarked that she’s “…very glad to hear that Alligator Alcatraz is potentially being shut down.”
On the contrary, Abigail Urgiles, another student at MLEC wasn’t even aware that the detention camp existed.
“I think that more people should know about what the government does because that way more citizens can be informed, she said. Urgiles followed up by stating that “news should be more understandable and accessible.”
This ruling is just a preliminary injunction, meaning that this is not a final decision and can be appealed by the State of Florida, which has been done by Attorney General James Uthmeier, landing in the 11th Circuit. Eventually, this case could potentially end up in the Supreme Court of the United States.
Overall, the ruling would help preserve the Everglades ecosystem, protect wildlife like alligators and other keystone species in the area, and upset the Trump-DeSantis agenda for immigration reform.
With this order in place, there is now a 60-day clock ticking down on dismantling the Alligator Alcatraz facility, with many more legal battles to follow. The outcome of this case could shape the influence that the government has over emergency and immigration policy for years to come.
