A federal judge in Miami ordered the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility to wind down operations and barred new construction. The ruling requires that the facility accept no new detainees and that officials remove fencing, lighting, gas, and sewage waste receptacles within 60 days. The order followed a lawsuit by the Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida and an environmental group alleging harm to tribal food and water supplies. The judge noted longstanding protection commitments for the Everglades and characterized the order as enforcement of legislation supporting restoration and conservation. Detainees and families had reported poor conditions at the site.
A federal judge in Miami has ordered the migrant detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz to wind down operations within the next two months after a local Indian tribe and environmental group sued over environmental concerns at the detention center. The ruling from Judge Kathleen M. Williams demands that no new detainees be accepted at the migrant detention facility, and officials there must remove fencing, lighting, gas, and sewage waste receptacles within 60 days. She also blocked any new construction at the site.
The order was sparked in part by concerns from the Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida, who claimed the operation of the facility was impacting their food and water supply. Williams, who was appointed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010, also pointed out in her order that the Everglades, where Alligator Alcatraz was built, has long been protected by local officials and U.S. presidents over the last several decades.
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