Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced Thursday that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed a lower court ruling against the state’s Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention facility, allowing it to continue operating as legal challenges proceed.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) declared that “the mission continues” at the state’s Alligator Alcatraz detention facility after an appeals court issued a stay on a lower court ruling that sought to block its operations.
“The media was giddy that somehow Alligator Alcatraz was, quote ,shutting down, and we told them that that wasn’t true,” DeSantis remarked in a video posted to X. “There have been illegal aliens continuing to be there and being removed and returned to their home country. But they ran with the narrative because 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.”
DeSantis added that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals had stayed the ruling, saying, “Alligator Alcatraz is, in fact, like we’ve always said, open for business. The mission continues, and we’re going to continue leading the way when it comes to immigration enforcement.”
The decision comes after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued a preliminary injunction in August that blocked the facility from expanding further, citing environmental concerns. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argued that the project threatened sensitive wetlands and bypassed federal environmental impact studies. Williams ordered fencing, lighting, and generators removed and limited new detainee intake, while allowing safety-related repairs.
Florida officials argued that the property was under state authority and not subject to federal environmental law, given its role in housing federal detainees. State Attorney General’s office spokesperson Jeremy Redfern and DeSantis both stated they expected an adverse ruling and pledged an immediate appeal.
The facility, built on the grounds of the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, has been used to detain and deport criminal migrants. DeSantis has revealed more than 600 detainees have been deported since its opening this summer and that the site has prompted an increase in voluntary departures.
Florida has also prepared to open a second immigration detention site at Camp Blanding in north Florida, though DeSantis has explained that facility would only be activated once Alligator Alcatraz reaches capacity.
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