Florida Authorities Ordered To Begin Dismantling Part Of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Over Environmental Danger Ruling

Florida authorities have been ordered to begin dismantling part of the detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" following a ruling preventing it from bringing in new detainees over environmental concerns.

Axios detailed that authorities must begin removing temporary fencing, lighting fixtures and generators within 60 days, according to the ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.

The decision also requires that environmental studies be conducted before any such projects are conducted in the area. The notion stands in contrast with claims by the Trump and DeSantis administrations, which claim that the facility has no impact on the environment.

However, the court cited testimonies claiming that repurposing the site has created a "myriad of risks" to its surrounding, including that new lighting reduced the habitat for the protected Florida panther by 2,000 acres.

Moreover, the Miccosukee Tribe said its members lost access to trails they used for hunting and harvesting ceremonial and medicinal plants. Kathleen said state authorities failed to consult with "stakeholders or experts" and "did no evaluation of the environmental risks."

The Ron DeSantis administration is already appealing the ruling. "So we anticipated this, but I don't think it's going to be insurmountable in the end," the governor told Fox News.

Advocates are also calling for the facility to be shut down as they decry "unlivable" conditions that include mosquitoe-ridden units and lights being on all the time.

"Detention conditions are unlivable," Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a press conference in late July, as reported by NBC News.

The DeSantis administration is also taking steps to hold migrants in a center dubbed "Deportation Depot," a facility located in North Florida.

The prison is located in a rural area between Tallahassee and Jacksonville. Officials intend to hold up to 1,300 migrants at the Baker Correctional Institution, which has been closed since 2021 due to staff shortages.