An activist judge blocked Alligator Alcatraz construction with one move that has Ron DeSantis seeing red

Florida’s getting results with its immigration detention center in the Everglades.

That’s exactly what has the environmental lobby up in arms.

And now an activist judge blocked Alligator Alcatraz construction with one move that has Ron DeSantis seeing red.

Obama Judge Steps In To Help Illegal Aliens

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams – an Obama appointee – issued a temporary restraining order Thursday halting all new construction at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility for the next two weeks.¹

The ruling came after environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe filed a lawsuit claiming the facility violates federal environmental laws.

Williams barred any new paving, filling, lighting installation, or infrastructure development at the site while she considers whether to issue a broader preliminary injunction.

But here’s the kicker – detainees can still be held there and deportations can continue.

So what exactly did this accomplish beyond giving environmental activists a temporary victory?

The judge made her decision after two days of testimony where environmental groups complained about everything from bright lights to increased traffic in the swamp.

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1953560188461654357

Environmental Groups Put Swamp Animals Before American Safety

The lawsuit centers around claims that “Alligator Alcatraz” violates the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to assess environmental impacts of major projects.²

Environmental lawyer Paul Schwiep argued that since the facility houses federal detainees, it should be subject to federal environmental review.

Florida’s legal team, led by attorney Jesse Panuccio, countered that the state built and operates the facility independently, making federal environmental rules irrelevant.

But Judge Williams wasn’t buying Florida’s argument.

She determined the facility was “at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government” since it handles federal immigration detainees.

The environmental groups brought in expert witnesses to complain about 20 acres of new pavement and security lights that can be seen from 15 miles away.

One witness even testified about seeing two dead alligators near the facility, as if road kill is somehow Florida’s fault.

The Real Story Behind This Legal Attack

Let’s be clear about what’s really happening here.

Environmental groups aren’t actually concerned about a few acres of pavement in a swamp that already had an airport runway.

They’re using environmental laws as a weapon to obstruct immigration enforcement.

The facility was built on the existing Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, which had been largely unused for years.³

Governor DeSantis has repeatedly pointed out that the site already had concrete infrastructure from the old airport.

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1951360437116674203

But facts don’t matter when you’re dealing with professional activists who see any effective immigration enforcement as a threat to their open borders agenda.

Christopher McVoy, described as an “Everglades expert,” testified that the new pavement could harm water quality in the area.

Because apparently 20 acres of asphalt is going to destroy the entire Everglades ecosystem.

These are the same people who stayed silent when the Biden administration was flying illegal aliens all over the country at taxpayer expense.

DeSantis Fires Back At Judicial Overreach

Governor DeSantis didn’t mince words in his response to the ruling.

“Operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing,” DeSantis posted on X immediately after the judge’s decision.⁴

https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1953560188461654357

His communications director Alex Lanfranconi was even more direct: “Today’s ruling by an activist judge will have no impact on immigration enforcement in Florida.”⁵

The governor’s team emphasized that the two-week construction halt won’t stop the facility from continuing to house up to 3,000 detainees while deportation proceedings move forward.

That’s the key point the media is missing – this ruling is largely symbolic.

The judge didn’t shut down operations or stop deportations. She just temporarily halted construction while environmental groups get their day in court.

Trump Administration Stands Firm

The Trump administration isn’t backing down either.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin called the ruling “another attempt to prevent the president from fulfilling the American people’s mandate for mass deportations.”⁶

She pointed out that the land has already been developed and that environmental activists care more about swamp preservation than stopping the invasion of our southern border.

President Trump toured the facility in July alongside DeSantis and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, praising its isolated location.

“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation,” Trump said during the visit.⁷

That’s exactly why environmental groups are so desperate to shut it down – because it works.

The Bigger Picture Nobody’s Talking About

This legal challenge represents everything wrong with how activist judges undermine immigration enforcement.

Federal courts have become the preferred venue for open borders advocates to obstruct any policy that actually secures our border or removes illegal aliens.

The same groups filing this lawsuit were nowhere to be found when the Biden administration was releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens into American communities.

But now they’re suddenly concerned about Florida panthers and water runoff when DeSantis builds a facility to actually enforce immigration law.

Eve Samples from Friends of the Everglades celebrated the ruling, saying she looked forward to “protecting the unique and imperiled Everglades ecosystem from further damage.”⁸

Where was this concern when drug cartels were trafficking people through sensitive border areas?

The environmental movement has become just another front in the war against immigration enforcement.

What Happens Next

The temporary restraining order lasts for 14 days while Judge Williams considers the environmental groups’ request for a broader preliminary injunction.

If she grants that injunction, it could halt construction indefinitely while the case works its way through federal court.

But DeSantis isn’t waiting around for activist judges to give him permission to enforce immigration law.

State records show Florida is already moving forward with a second detention facility at a National Guard base in northern Florida.⁹

The administration has awarded at least one contract for what’s being called the “North Detention Facility.”

Meanwhile, similar detention centers are being planned for other states, including the “Speedway Slammer” near Indianapolis that could house 1,000 detainees.

Environmental groups can file all the lawsuits they want, but the American people voted for mass deportations and that’s exactly what they’re going to get.

The only question is whether activist judges will continue using environmental laws to obstruct immigration enforcement or if common sense will prevail.

Based on Judge Williams’ ruling, don’t count on common sense anytime soon.

¹ David Fischer, “Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center,” Associated Press, August 7, 2025.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Khaleda Rahman, “Ron DeSantis responds to judge ordering halt to Alligator Alcatraz,” Newsweek, August 7, 2025.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Rebecca Falconer, “Judge pauses construction at Alligator Alcatraz,” Axios, August 7, 2025.

⁷ Brad Reed, “Federal Judge Orders Halt to Construction of Trump-DeSantis ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in Florida,” Raw Story, August 7, 2025.

⁸ David Fischer, “Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center,” Associated Press, August 7, 2025.

⁹ Ibid.