An appeals court overturned a federal judge's order forcing Florida authorities to shut down the migrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz," allowing it to continue operating at the moment.
Concretely, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals paused the order by District Judge Kathleen Williams in a split decision, the Miami Herald reported.
Williams had granted a preliminary injunction following a lawsuit filed by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, citing the lack of an environmental review for the site located in sensitive wetlands.
Authorities had already begun transporting detainees from the facility. Moreover, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis acknowledged the transfers and all but confirmed the potential closure. However, he attributed the development to the rapid pace of DHS deportations rather than the court ruling. "We don't determine who goes into the facility," DeSantis said. "Who they send in or don't send in is on their decision."
Built on a remote airstrip in just over a week, the center mostly consists of chain-link cages and large tents holding bunk beds. Florida invested at least $218 million converting the site, with the aforementioned Associated Press analysis showing more than $405 million in vendor contracts signed to build and operate it. Based on publicly available contract data, AP estimated the state allocated $50 million for the bathrooms alone.
Conditions inside the center have drawn scrutiny since it opened July 1. A month-long ABC News investigation published in mid-August detailed accounts from detainees and attorneys who described confinement in flooded tents, extreme temperatures, and limited access to medical care and legal counsel. DHS disputed the allegations, saying the facility met federal standards and denying reports of flooding mentioned in the article.
Civil rights groups have filed multiple lawsuits alleging inhumane conditions and denial of access to the legal system.
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