Environmental groups try blocking Trump's 'Alligator Alcatraz' with last-minute lawsuit
Multiple environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday alleging officials did not evaluate ecologic impacts when constructing "Alligator Alcatraz," an illegal immigrant detention center near the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve.
The lawsuit, filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity in the Southern District of Florida, aims to pause construction at the federal site, which is being built at the reportedly unoccupied Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
"It's a lazy lawsuit, and it ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.
The 30-square-mile property will be home to 5,000 ICE detainees and is guarded by alligators and pythons.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday it had approved the project, and crews started working on the transformation Monday.
Attorneys allege the installation of housing units; the construction of sanitation and food services systems, lighting infrastructure, diesel power generators; and the use of the runway to transport detainees, pose "clear" environmental harms, according to a FOX 13 Tampa Bay report.
Environmental groups and Native Americans who live in the reserve protested outside the airport Saturday, calling on officials to protect their homeland from additional pollution.
"The defendants, in their rush to build the center, have unlawfully bypassed the required environmental reviews," according to court documents. "The direct and indirect harm to nearby wetlands, wildlife and air and water quality, and feasible alternatives to the action, must be considered under NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] before acting."
Lawyers also accused officials of violating Miami-Dade County code and noted Emergency Management's lack of authority to construct and manage a correctional center, according to the report.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" Friday that illegal immigrants could begin arriving by Tuesday, clarifying no permanent changes would be made.
"It's all temporary," DeSantis said. "We'll set it up, and we'll break it down. This isn't our first rodeo. The impact will be zero."
He added the center will be a "force multiplier," aiding in the enforcement of President Donald Trump's mandate.
Funded by the state, the center will cost about $450 million to operate annually with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements.
As the lawsuit seeking an injunction moves its way through the courts, work is continuing at the site, FOX 13 reported.
The suit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie and Miami-Dade County.
Florida Emergency Management and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Miami-Dade County could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Trump Admin Shares Meme of ICE Alligators Outside Florida Prison
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shared an AI-generated meme depicting alligators as ICE agents outside of a Florida detention center. DHS Why It Matters The remote facility is expected to cost Florida approximately $450 million annually to operate. The proposal comes as President Donald Trump's administration looks to conduct what it describes as the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Critics say that the center's remote location and rapid deployment raise ethical and legal questions about the treatment of migrants, transparency, and due process. Supporters say the project is a cost-efficient step to handle increased immigration enforcement. What To Know The image shared by DHS shows alligators wearing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) baseball caps outside the fences of the detention center. The meme and plans have sparked outrage from critics over inhumane conditions and concerns from environmental groups. "A horrendous lack of humanity," Georgetown lecturer Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement during the Obama administration, said in a post on X. Former CIA officer Christopher Burgess described the post as "Disgusting." The Florida Division of Emergency Management is set to build the facility, which is capable of housing up to 5,000 beds, according to DHS. In this image from undated video released by the Office of Attorney General James Uthmeier shows an isolated Everglades airfield about 45 miles (72 kms.) west of Miami that Florida officials said an immigration detention... In this image from undated video released by the Office of Attorney General James Uthmeier shows an isolated Everglades airfield about 45 miles (72 kms.) west of Miami that Florida officials said an immigration detention facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" is just days away from being operational. 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Renata Bozzetto, Deputy Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a statement shared with Newsweek: "The rush to open this inhumane camp in July, during scorching hot Florida summer, while disappearing members of our communities— moms, dads, grandmothers, children—in tents in a swamp with no adequate facilities to sustain them, is simply meant and engineered to enact suffering." Kristi Noem, secretary for homeland security, said in a statement on Wednesday: "Under President Trump's leadership, we are working at turbo speed to deliver cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people's mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens." What Happens Next The project could be finished within the next 30 to 60 days, according to Florida officials.
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CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
Protesters line highway in Florida Everglades to oppose ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
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