An appeals court has overturned a federal judge’s order that would have forced Florida officials to shut down the migrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” meaning the facility can stay open for now.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued the decision in a split ruling, according to the Miami Herald.
District Judge Kathleen Williams had previously granted an injunction after environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe filed a lawsuit. They argued the site, built in fragile wetlands, lacked a proper environmental review.
Authorities had already started moving detainees out of the center. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted the transfers but said they were tied to the Department of Homeland Security speeding up deportations, not the court ruling. “We don’t determine who goes into the facility,” DeSantis said. “Who they send in or don’t send in is their decision.”
The detention center was built on a remote airstrip in just over a week. It is mostly made up of chain-link cages and large tents with bunk beds. Florida spent at least $218 million converting the site, and an Associated Press review found that more than $405 million in contracts were signed to build and run it. Public data showed about $50 million went toward bathroom facilities alone.
Since its opening on July 1, conditions at the center have faced heavy criticism. An ABC News investigation in mid-August reported stories from detainees and lawyers describing flooded tents, extreme heat, and limited medical care or legal access. DHS pushed back, saying the facility meets federal standards and denying reports of flooding.
Civil rights groups have also filed several lawsuits, accusing the center of inhumane conditions and blocking detainees from their legal rights.
