Federal Court Halts ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Expansion: What Florida’s Failure Means for America

In a striking rebuke of Florida officials, a federal judge has ordered the winding down of the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility nestled deep within the fragile Florida Everglades. This ruling not only halts further expansion but forces a reckoning with how far state leaders will go—at the expense of national sovereignty and environmental stewardship—to enforce immigration policies. Why Build in a Vulnerable Ecosystem? The Environmental and Legal Blind Spot U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued an 82-page order pointing to a glaring lack of transparency and disregard for federal environmental laws by Florida’s government. The detention center was...