Judge orders halt to build 'Alcatraz with alligators' prison for migrants

Conservationists have welcomed a U.S. judge's decision to halt construction of the Alligator Alcatraz prison. The temporary halt to work at the prison in the Florida Everglades comes as lawyers argue over whether environmental laws are being violated.

A coalition of environmental groups welcomed a federal judge's decision on Thursday to halt construction work on an immigration prison in the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz," The Guardian reports.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered workers to stop laying any new pavement, infrastructure or backfill at a remote tent detention camp that the Trump administration intends to use to hold 3,000 immigrants awaiting deportation from the United States.

Her oral order, which she said would be backed up by a written injunction later, will last for two weeks while lawyers argue whether the camp's construction violated environmental regulations.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) can continue to operate the camp and detain prisoners there, Judge Williams said, pending resolution of a lawsuit alleging that the project threatens fragile wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and will reverse billions of dollars in environmental restoration costs.

“We are relieved that the court has stepped in to protect the Everglades’ sensitive waters, starry skies, and vulnerable creatures from further harm while we pursue our case,” said Eliza Bennett, a lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity. “We are ready to move forward and put an end to this despicable plan for good.”

The lawsuit, filed in Miami District Court by an alliance that includes Friends of the Everglades, Earthjustice and the Mitchosukee Indian Tribe of Florida, challenges only the environmental impact of the prison, which opened last month after a visit from Donald Trump.

A separate lawsuit filed by human rights groups alleges violations of the detainees' constitutional rights, The Guardian reports. They claim that the detainees are barred from seeing lawyers and are being held without charge, and that a federal immigration court has cancelled their bail hearings. A hearing in that case is scheduled for August 18.

Beyond the lawsuit, the opening of "Alligator Alcatraz" has sparked outrage from Democrats, some of whom visited the facility last month and decried the "inhumane" conditions inside, including prisoners confined in cages, flooding from heavy rain, non-functioning toilets, broken air conditioners and swarms of mosquitoes.

It also later emerged that, despite Trump's assurances that the prison was for "deranged psychopaths" and "some of the most vicious people on the planet," hundreds of inmates had no criminal records or active charges against them, The Guardian reports.

The lawsuit alleges that the detention center violates the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa), which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impacts of major construction projects.

Florida State Attorney Jesse Panuccio said during the hearing that while the detention center will house federal prisoners, the construction and operation of the facility is entirely the responsibility of the state of Florida, meaning the Nepa review will not apply.

His arguments apparently did not convince Judge Williams, who notes that the project was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal governments, and that anything built on the site would likely remain there forever, no matter how the case is ultimately decided.

Plaintiffs presented witnesses in support of the injunction on Wednesday and Thursday, while lawyers for the state and federal governments are scheduled to present their arguments next week.

Talbert Cypress, chairman of the Miccosukee Indian Tribe of Florida, said he welcomed the decision to stop construction in and around the Big Cypress Preserve, the tribe's traditional home.

“The detention center threatens land that is not only environmentally sensitive, but sacred to our people,” he said. “While this order is temporary, it is an important step in asserting our rights and protecting our homeland. The Miccosukee Tribe will continue to stand up for our culture, our sovereignty, and the Everglades.”