A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a lower court’s order to shut down Florida’s controversial immigration detention facility in the Everglades, widely known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
On Thursday, the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with both the State of Florida and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), granting their request to block District Judge Kathleen Williams’ injunction.
That injunction would have required the facility to wind down operations within 60 days.
“After careful consideration, we grant the defendants’ motions and stay the preliminary injunction and the underlying case itself pending appeal,” the divided three-judge panel wrote in its majority opinion.
The decision is a setback for environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, who had argued the project violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Judge Williams had agreed, ruling that the detention center counted as a “major federal action” requiring environmental review.
But the appeals court disagreed. The majority concluded the Everglades facility is a Florida-run project, not a federal one.
“The Facility is a site built, led, operated, and funded unilaterally by a state government,” the opinion said, noting that federal reimbursement through FEMA remains uncertain and does not qualify the project as a federal undertaking.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hailed the ruling as “a victory against an activist judge,” while Gov. Ron DeSantis declared in a video statement that “Alligator Alcatraz is open for business.”
Conditions inside the detention center have drawn fierce criticism, with reports of sweltering heat, bug infestations, and inadequate meals.
Lawmakers who toured the site earlier this summer demanded its closure, warning of humanitarian and environmental risks.
One judge on the appellate panel dissented, arguing that testimony from DHS officials, ICE inspections, and public statements from both Secretary Kristi Noem and Gov. DeSantis showed federal involvement. He said this made the case a “major federal action” that should fall under NEPA.
Environmental advocates expressed disappointment but vowed to continue their legal fight. Elise Bennett, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the ruling “a heartbreaking blow to America’s Everglades,” while Eve Samples of Friends of the Everglades said the case was “just starting.”
The next phase will see a new appellate panel decide whether to reinstate Judge Williams’ shutdown order or allow Florida’s detention project to proceed.
