A federal judge has ruled that Alligator Alcatraz must cease new construction and no new detainees can be admitted.
The 82-page order from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams states that operations at the Everglades facility must cease within 60 days.
The facility also can't expand any further, including installing any new industrial lighting, fencing or other infrastructure.
The state and federal government are also ordered to remove most of the infrastructure from the site within 60 days—that includes the fencing, generators, sewage and waste disposal.
PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION ISSUED ON THE EVERGLADES IMMIGRANT DETENTION CAMP!
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, PhD 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) August 22, 2025
The State of Florida must halt ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION, cannot bring *any* new detainees, and in 60 days they must dismantle the fencing, lighting and other infrastructure as the population diminishes. pic.twitter.com/bUqdPHOlQB
This preliminary injunction comes after a lawsuit was filed by environmental groups, arguing that required environmental studies were not performed before construction began.
WPTV has been closely tracking the lawsuit against the state and federal governments by the environmental group Friends of the Everglades and the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida.
"This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperiled wilderness should be protected, not exploited,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, in a statement. “It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government — and there are consequences for ignoring them.”
The injunction formalized a temporary halt Williams had ordered two weeks ago as witnesses continued to testify in a multiday hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case.
The judge said that she expected the population of the facility to decline within 60 days through the transferring of the detainees to other facilities, and once that happened, fencing, lighting and generators should be removed.
She wrote the state and federal defendants can't bring anyone other than those who are already being detained at the facility onto the property. The order does not prohibit modification or repairs to existing facilities, “which are solely for the purpose of increasing safety or mitigating environmental or other risks at the site," she said.
The preliminary injunction includes “those who are in active concert or participation with” the state of Florida or federal defendants or their officers, agents, employees," the judge wrote in an 82-page order.
The judge said state officials never explained sufficiently why the facility needed to be in the middle of the Florida Everglades.
“What is apparent, however, is that in their haste to construct the detention camp, the State did not consider alternative locations,” Williams said.
READ FULL RULING HERE:
MORE COVERAGE OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ:
WPTV Investigates
Environmental court battle over 'Alligator Alcatraz' exposes impacts on state
State
DeSantis admin left county officials in the dark as detention facility built
Miami-Dade
Attorney says client had no access to running water at Alligator Alcatraz
WPTV Investigates
