"The judge found Florida and the federal government had failed to conduct a required environmental review."
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump administration officials said Friday they are unfazed by a federal judge’s order to begin dismantling the so-called Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center in the Everglades because of a failure to study the facility’s environmental impact.
U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams late Thursday issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting more detainees from coming to the site, barring new construction and giving the state 60 days to remove many of its major elements.
“Here, there weren’t ‘deficiencies’ in the agency’s process. There was no process,” Williams wrote. “The (state) consulted with no stakeholders or experts and did no evaluation of the environmental risks and alternatives.”
Florida immediately appealed the decision by the Obama administration appointee, sending the dispute up to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. At a press conference Friday, DeSantis denounced Williams as an “activist judge” and dismissed the ruling as expected."
Michael Doyle and Miranda Willson report for E&E News August 22, 2025.
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