A federal appeals court has cleared the way for Florida to continue operating its migrant detention facility in the Everglades, often referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz,” reversing a lower court order that had halted construction and temporarily shut down a site backed by the Trump administration.
On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ August 7 ruling, which had blocked further work at the detention facility, which primarily houses criminal aliens.
Williams, an Obama appointee, had issued a temporary restraining order citing environmental concerns and the absence of a formal environmental impact statement. Her order suspended housing new detainees at the site and halted construction, forcing transfers of migrants to other detention centers across Florida.
In its ruling, a three-judge appellate panel sided with both Florida state officials and the Department of Homeland Security, which jointly appealed Williams’ decision. “After careful consideration, we grant the defendants’ motions and we stay the preliminary injunction and the underlying case itself pending appeal,” the court wrote.
The decision reinstates Florida’s ability to use the facility while the broader legal case plays out.
DeSantis celebrated the outcome, calling it a win against judicial interference in immigration enforcement.
“The media was giddy that somehow Alligator Alcatraz was ‘shutting down,’” DeSantis said. “Now we told them that that wasn’t true. There had been illegal aliens continuing to be there and removed and returned to their home country.”
“Some leftist judge ruled implausibly that somehow Florida wasn’t allowed to use our own property to help the federal government in this important mission because they didn’t do an environmental impact statement,” he said. “Well, we said we would fight that … and I’m pleased to say that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has just stayed that ruling and stayed the case. So Alligator Alcatraz is, in fact, like we always said, open for business.”
The detention center, built on a former airfield deep in the Everglades, earned its nickname from the alligator-infested waters surrounding the site, which officials say make escape attempts nearly impossible. Supporters argue the remote location enhances security, while critics have raised concerns about environmental damage and detainee welfare.
Williams’ initial ruling had drawn sharp criticism from state officials and immigration enforcement advocates. They argued the judge’s decision undermined both state and federal authority to manage immigration.
Attorney General James Uthmeier (R-FL), who proposed the facility in June as an “innovative solution” to immigration enforcement challenges, welcomed the appeals court’s stay. He has described the site as a way to ease strain on existing detention centers and speed up deportations.
The Trump administration also backed the project, with Homeland Security officials saying the Everglades facility would provide critical additional detention capacity.
For now, the appeals court ruling allows the facility to continue operating without the restrictions Williams imposed. Migrants can once again be detained at the site, and construction and expansion efforts may proceed while the legal challenge continues.
The case will now move forward on appeal, where judges will consider whether Florida and DHS followed proper procedures in establishing and expanding the facility. The outcome could have significant implications for state-federal partnerships on immigration enforcement and for the scope of environmental review requirements on such projects.
DeSantis has framed the legal battle as part of a broader clash with opponents of his immigration policies.
“The mission continues on immigration enforcement,” he said Thursday. “We told people from the very beginning that this was not shutting down — and now the court has affirmed that we were right.”