The Trump administration has begun closing the controversial immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The move comes after a federal judge ruled that officials must dismantle parts of the facility due to environmental concerns.
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Judge’s previous ruling
Just last week, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams barred any new construction on the facility. She ordered the temporary fencing to be removed, allowing Native Americans to access the land as they had before the facility’s construction.
The order said federal officials are not allowed to bring in any new detainees at the facility. It also said the facility must remove “all generators, gas, sewage and other waste and waste receptacles that were installed to support this project.”
While Williams did say the facility could stay open, given all the required adjustments and removals, it was unlikely to.
The Trump administration appealed the ruling, but was unsuccessful. On Wednesday, Williams said officials failed to present “new evidence” to support keeping the facility open.
Moving the detainees
Now, the Department of Homeland Security announced it will relocate detainees to other locations.
It insisted it will oppose the decision. DHS described the order as “another attempt to prevent the president from removing the most problematic individuals.”
In a statement to CBS News, DHS said it “is complying with this order and moving detainees to other facilities. We will continue to fight tooth-and-nail to remove the worst of the worst from American streets.”
A top immigration official said the facility may be empty within a few days.
