A federal judge in Miami ruled Thursday that the controversial migrant detention facility known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d located in the Florida Everglades, can continue operating \u2014 but cannot expand or accept any new detainees.<\/p>\n
U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, appointed by President Obama, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the addition of new industrial lighting and halting any further expansion. The order also forbids bringing in any new detainees not already held at the site as of the date of the ruling.<\/p>\n
The 82-page decision cited violations of the National Environmental Policy Act. It ordered the removal of generators, gas and sewage infrastructure, and other waste-related installations within 60 days, effectively initiating a shutdown once the facility\u2019s population declines. Light pollution, a major concern raised during recent hearings, must also be addressed. Additional lighting already installed must be removed.<\/p>\n
The judge further directed the removal of temporary fencing to restore site access to local Native American tribe members, whose ability to reach sacred and historic land was disrupted by the facility’s construction.<\/p>\n
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin criticized the ruling, calling it a politically motivated attempt to hinder the president\u2019s immigration enforcement. \u201cThis activist judge doesn\u2019t care about the invasion of our country facilitated by the Biden administration, but the American people do,\u201d she said. McLaughlin argued that the site has been developed for years and plays a crucial role in removing dangerous criminals from the country, including gang members, rapists, and terrorists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A federal judge in Miami ruled Thursday that the controversial migrant detention facility known as \u201cAlligator Alcatraz,\u201d located in the Florida Everglades, can continue operating \u2014 but… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n