A federal appeals court ruled that “Alligator Alcatraz” can remain open. In a 2-to-1 decision, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades falls under state jurisdiction, not federal.
That means plaintiffs can’t challenge its legality in federal court.
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Matter of public safety
The appeals court also said keeping the facility open is a matter of “public interest.”
“Given that the federal government has an undisputed and wide-reaching interest in combating illegal immigration, and that illegal immigration is a matter of national security and public safety, we think the injunction issued below goes against the public interest,” the ruling said.
Previous ruling
The news comes after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams filed an injunction halting any new construction on the facility last month. She barred officials from bringing any new detainees to the facility and said facility staff must remove “all generators, gas, sewage and other waste and waste receptacles.”
Following that decision, the Trump administration began moving detainees to other facilities while waiting for its appeals to be processed.
By the time of the appeal ruling, Florida officials reported that the facility was nearly empty. It’s uncertain whether officials will send more migrants there before deportation.
Environmental concerns
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The Everglades have long been a focal point of conservation efforts, leading to high local sensitivity to new developments in the area.
The initial ruling calling for “Alligator Alcatraz’s” closing came after environmentalist groups and Native Americans sued to stop the facility’s construction.
They utilized the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires government officials to conduct an environmental impact study prior to construction, and another federal law to file the suit.
However, the appeals court ruled that Florida runs the facility, not the Trump administration. Therefore, it’s a state problem, not a federal one.
The Miccosukee Tribe, which was one of the plaintiffs in the original lawsuit, issued a statement to ABC News following the appeals court’s decision to stay the injunction. It said, “We were prepared for this result and will continue to litigate the matter. We find some solace in the dissent’s accurate analysis of the law and will continue to fight for the Everglades.”
