Judge Orders Swift Closure of Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Amid Legal and Environmental Battles

In a decisive rebuke to state and federal authorities, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams has mandated that Florida’s hastily constructed immigration detention center—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”—continue its closure by late October. This ruling comes despite vehement attempts by both governments to keep the facility operational, revealing stark tensions between enforcement ambitions and respect for rule of law. Why Is This Facility Under Fire? “Alligator Alcatraz” was erected in record time at a lightly used Everglades training airport, costing taxpayers over $245 million. Yet from its inception, it has been marred with reports of unsanitary conditions, detainees cut off from legal representation,...