The Everglades Immigrant Detention Center, commonly referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” will be forced to close following a federal court ruling citing environmental and human rights concerns.
On Wednesday, August 20th, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered the State of Florida and the Trump Administration to halt operations at the facility, which sits in the Florida Everglades. The ruling requires the center to immediately stop taking in new detainees and to fully shut down within 60 days.
Judge Williams’ decision was largely based on the environmental damage caused by the facility’s construction and operations in the protected wetlands. The lawsuit was brought forward by advocacy groups including Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe.
Elected officials who have long opposed the detention center praised the decision. Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) called the ruling “a major victory for justice, civil rights, and our environment,” while also criticizing the facility’s treatment of detainees.
“The Everglades Immigrant Detention Center is nothing more than a state-sponsored, government-funded internment camp designed to keep Black and Brown immigrants in hellish conditions while Donald Trump pretends it makes our country safer,” Frost said in a statement. “This ruling is a step forward, but the struggle for justice continues.”
Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) also welcomed the closure, saying she and her colleagues have pressured for years to end operations at the site.
“FINALLY ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IS CLOSING DOWN. IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!,” Wilson said in a statement. “It was cruel, careless, and destructive from the start and should have never been built. I’m glad it’s closing, and we must never repeat the mistakes made at this facility anywhere else.”
The detention center has long drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups, environmental advocates, and local leaders who argued it caused harm both to vulnerable communities and to one of Florida’s most fragile ecosystems. With the judge’s order, the facility is expected to cease operations by late October.
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