Miami judge halts Alligator Alcatraz project, orders 60-day winddown

A federal judge in Miami on Thursday ordered all expansion of Alligator Alcatraz halted and directed the wind-down of the controversial immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades within 60 days, as officials move to remove temporary facilities and prevent further development. The ruling also barred bringing in new detainees and required the removal of fencing, lighting, generators and other infrastructure that supports the site, pending the outcome of environmental and administrative challenges to the project. The decision preserves the operation of existing housing only as long as conditions are maintained, and allows safety-related repairs, but it signals a formal stop to the push to enlarge the camp.

The detention center—fast-built on a decommissioned airstrip in the Big Cypress National Preserve—has become a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement and the preservation of the Everglades. Proponents described the site as a model for rapid detention capacity, while opponents argued that it was conceived and constructed in violation of federal environmental law and without adequate consideration of the wetlands, protected species and tribal...