Latest news with #KathleenM.Williams
Time of India
08-08-2025
- Time of India
Judge halts Everglades construction at Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration detention center for 14 days
A federal judge has ordered Florida to stop construction at an immigration detention center in the remote Everglades for 14 days, pending further review of environmental concerns. Judge Kathleen M. Williams of the Federal District Court in Miami issued a temporary restraining order from the bench on Thursday, August 7, prohibiting the state from installing additional lighting, paving, fencing, or other fixtures at the facility known as 'Alligator Alcatraz.' She said a written order would follow. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Also read: Who has legal custody of hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees? Judge mounts heat on officials to produ by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The immigration detention center is a state-run facility that houses federal immigration detainees. Several environmental groups filed a lawsuit in June, asserting the project moved forward without the environmental review required under federal law. The order halts Everglades construction temporarily, giving the court time to conclude its hearing. Judge Williams heard a day and a half of testimony before issuing her ruling. Live Events According to the plaintiffs, building and operating the detention center in the Everglades poses a threat to sensitive wetlands and endangered species. The lawsuit claims the absence of a full environmental assessment violates federal regulations intended to protect critical habitats. The state has not yet commented publicly on the court's decision. The facility's location in the Everglades has drawn criticism from conservation advocates, who argue that development in such an ecologically sensitive area could have long-term impacts on water quality, wildlife migration patterns, and vegetation. Judge Williams' restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while she considers legal arguments and the evidence presented. The next phase of the proceedings will determine whether the halt to construction should be extended beyond the initial period.
NBC News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention camp in Florida must temporarily halt construction, judge rules
MIAMI — A Florida judge ruled to temporarily halt operations at " Alligator Alcatraz," the controversial migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, because the site's construction skirted environmental laws. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams made the decision on Thursday after two days of testimony in Miami federal court. The hearing comes after environmental groups sued in June to stop the facility, which opened in July on an airstrip located in the sensitive wetlands of Ochopee's Big Cypress National Preserve, from operating. The suit claimed the center was built without mandatory ecological reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act, without public notice or comment, and the government failed to comply with other state and federal statutes, including the Endangered Species Act. The construction of the site —which came as part of the Trump administration's cracking down on immigration — was hotly protested by environmental groups and Native Americans, as the Everglades is a unique, marshy habitat home to endangered and threatened species. Christopher McVoy, an Everglades expert, environmental scientist, and board member of Friends of the Everglades — an Everglades preservation nonprofit and one of the parties who filed the suit, testified Thursday. He said he visited the detention center site on June 28, when an incident commander showed him around and told him they were paving some areas. McVoy described photos of the area since construction on the facility began and said, "You're looking at 11 acres of new pavement." He also described an increase in traffic in the area. Dillon Reio, a professional geologist in Florida who works for SCS engineers providing assessments of development projects, said his assessment of the "Alligator Alcatraz" plans showed it lacked "a cohesive storm water plan for the site," while warning that runoff can create contaminants, and 'there could be offsite impacts.' On Wednesday, Eve Samples, the executive director of Friends of the Everglades, testified that more than 40,000 people made submissions on its website to oppose the detention center. Samples testified that the group is concerned about the potential impacts of run-off, the industrial-style lights that are visible from 15 miles away despite a dark sky designation, and increased traffic. "Driving out there myself many times, the increased traffic is visible. I saw two dead gators last time I visited, so definitely a difference in the area," she told the court. Jessica Namath, daughter of former NFL star Joe Namath — who was in attendance — also testified Wednesday. Namath, also a member of Friends of the Everglades, said that the detention facility has created light pollution and that the area looks 'heartbreakingly different.' 'Alligator Alcatraz' has faced other legal action for alleged inhumane conditions and treatment of detainees. The conditions were described as horrific by legal advocates and relatives of immigrant detainees, including cage-like units, mosquito infestations, and unsanitary conditions. NBC Miami has also reported on detainees' and family members' allegations of ' inhumane conditions ': limited access to showers, spoiled food, and extreme heat.
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Supreme Court won't revive aggressive Florida immigration law
The Supreme Court has given the Trump administration great leeway in pursuing its immigration agenda. In a series of orders ruling on emergency applications from the administration, the justices have allowed it to lift protections for hundreds of thousands of people who had been granted temporary protected status or humanitarian parole, allowing them to be deported. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The court also allowed the administration to pursue so-called third-country deportations, sending migrants to places other than their home nations without an opportunity to argue that they would face the risk of torture. Advertisement Wednesday's order suggested that the court may take a different view of states' power over immigration. The law, adopted by Florida lawmakers this year, created two new crimes. The first, entering the state after eluding federal authorities, called for a mandatory nine-month misdemeanor sentence for a first offense and escalating felony sentences for later ones. The second crime, reentering the state after having been deported, is a felony. The law requires people arrested on suspicion of violating either provision to be jailed without bond while their cases proceed. Advertisement Two migrants' and immigration rights groups quickly challenged the law, saying it interfered with the federal government's power to set immigration policy and to conduct foreign affairs. Judge Kathleen M. Williams of US District Court in Miami temporarily blocked enforcement of the law. A three-judge panel of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals refused to pause Williams' ruling, saying it was likely that federal immigration laws preempted the state law. The panel put the appeal on a fast track, and the Trump administration filed a brief supporting the state. At least six other states have similar laws, all enacted in the past two years, as Republican lawmakers have sought to harness the energy President Trump has brought to the immigration issue and to stiffen penalties for migrants without legal residency status. Every court that has considered the laws has ruled against them, according to a Supreme Court brief filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the challengers. Those courts relied on Arizona v. United States, a 2012 decision in which the Supreme Court endorsed broad federal power over immigration by a 5-3 vote. 'Arizona may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration,' while the federal government tries to address them, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority, 'but the state may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.' The court's composition has changed since then, and officials in Florida had been hopeful that the current justices would alter the balance of power between the federal government and the states in the realm of immigration. Advertisement In Florida's emergency application, James Uthmeier, the state's attorney general, said there was no conflict between federal law and the relevant parts of the state statute. 'Florida carefully crafted both provisions to precisely track, mimic and depend upon federal immigration law,' he wrote, adding that a contrary view 'strikes at the heart of states' ability to protect their citizens from the devastating effects of illegal immigration.' On July 3, after that brief was filed, a divided three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit ruled against a similar Texas law. 'For nearly 150 years, the Supreme Court has recognized that the power to control immigration — the entry, admission and removal of aliens — is exclusively a federal power,' Judge Priscilla Richman, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, wrote for the majority. Florida officials have been aggressive in trying to enforce the new law, despite Williams's ruling. In an April letter to state law enforcement agencies, Uthmeier wrote that it was his view that 'no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida's new illegal entry and reentry laws.' Last month, Williams, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, held Uthmeier in civil contempt for the letter, which she found defied her April ruling. 'Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court's clear and unambiguous order,' Williams wrote. 'Fidelity to the rule of law can have no other meaning.' Responding on social media, Uthmeier wrote that 'if being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.' Advertisement The contempt finding was not directly before the justices, but Florida's seeming defiance of Williams' ruling may have colored their view of the state's emergency application. This article originally appeared in
Politico
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Supreme Court declines to lift hold on Florida's tough immigration law
In its order, the Supreme Court did not explain its reasoning, in line with typical orders on emergency appeals. The Supreme Court, which has granted the Trump Administration sweeping wins in its aggressive push to crack down on illegal immigration, may consider the broader challenge of the law, which advocates say intrudes on federal power. 'This ruling affirms what the Constitution demands — that immigration enforcement is a federal matter and that no one should be stripped of their liberty without due process,' ACLU of Florida Executive Director Bacardi Jackson said in a statement following the ruling. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams ruled in April that Florida's law, which was approved in February by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, likely conflicted with federal immigration laws. An appeals court declined to pause her order. Williams also held Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt last month after he directed state law enforcement officials to enforce the law in defiance of her order. In his appeal, Uthmeier argued that Williams' order 'inflicts irreparable harm on Florida and its ability to protect its citizens from the deluge of illegal immigration.' At least six other states have passed similar laws in recent years. The measures have fared poorly in lower courts, with several judges deciding they interfere with federal authority over immigration.
