Federal judges think they can push around Republican governors.
One activist judge just learned that wasn’t going to fly in Florida.
And Ron DeSantis defied one federal judge’s order in a way that sent environmentalists into meltdown.
DeSantis refuses to bow to judicial activism
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams thought she could muscle Florida Governor Ron DeSantis into submission with a temporary restraining order targeting the state’s new immigration detention facility.
She was wrong.
Williams issued a two-week halt to construction at the detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” on Thursday, citing environmental concerns about the facility built on an old airport in the Everglades region.
But DeSantis made it crystal clear he wasn’t backing down from his immigration enforcement mission.
“Operations at Alligator Alcatraz are ongoing and deportations are continuing,” DeSantis fired back on X immediately after the judge’s ruling.¹
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1953560188461654357
The governor’s communications director Alex Lanfranconi doubled down on the defiant message.
“Thursday’s ruling will have no impact on immigration enforcement in Florida,” Lanfranconi stated. “Alligator Alcatraz will remain operational, continuing to serve as a force multiplier to enhance deportation efforts.”²
Environmentalists team up with tribal activists to block deportations
The lawsuit against Alligator Alcatraz reveals the usual suspects working together to undermine immigration enforcement.
Environmental group Friends of the Everglades joined forces with the Miccosukee Tribe to challenge the detention facility that can hold up to 3,000 illegal immigrants in temporary tent structures.
These professional activists argued the facility violates the National Environmental Policy Act because it threatens “environmentally sensitive wetlands” and could damage plants and animals in the area.
But their real motivation became obvious when they demanded a complete shutdown of immigration operations at the site – not just environmental protections.
Judge Williams bought into their environmental theater, expressing concerns that “rain runoff from the detention center could damage its surrounding ecosystem.”
The facility sits on the site of the former Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, about 40 miles west of Miami, and borders Everglades National Park.
Florida challenges federal overreach
Florida’s attorneys argued during Thursday’s hearing that the state has complete authority over the construction and operation of the detention center, even though it houses federal detainees.
They contended that the National Environmental Policy Act doesn’t apply because the facility falls entirely under state jurisdiction.
Environmental lawyers pushed back, claiming the facility only exists because the federal government wants a place to hold immigration detainees.
Williams sided with the environmentalists, ruling that the detention facility represents “at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government.”
The judge’s temporary restraining order blocks new construction for two weeks, including installation of industrial lighting, paving, excavating, fencing, and any additional buildings or tents.
But she allowed the facility to continue operating and holding detainees – which means DeSantis can keep deportations moving forward.
Trump praised the strategic location of Alligator Alcatraz
President Donald Trump toured the facility in July and highlighted exactly why the location works so well for immigration enforcement.
“We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland and the only way out is, really, deportation,” Trump explained during his visit.³
The facility was built quickly two months ago as part of the Trump administration’s hardline approach to immigration enforcement and border security.
The Department of Homeland Security announced this week that it’s opening another detention facility – dubbed the “Speedway Slammer” – at the Miami Correctional Center in Indiana with 1,000 beds.
Environmental activists are celebrating the temporary construction halt as a victory, but they’re missing the bigger picture.
Eve Samples, executive director at Friends of the Everglades, claimed the judge “saw the urgent need to put a pause on additional construction” to protect the ecosystem.⁴
Talbert Cypress, chairman of the Miccosukee Tribe, called the land “sacred to our people” and vowed to continue fighting the facility.
But DeSantis made it clear that immigration enforcement in Florida isn’t slowing down just because some environmentalists filed a lawsuit.
The temporary restraining order lasts for two weeks while the preliminary injunction hearing continues.
A second lawsuit claiming detainees’ rights are being violated is scheduled for a hearing on August 18.
These legal challenges won’t stop DeSantis from using every tool at his disposal to help President Trump secure the border and remove illegal immigrants from the country.
Florida has become a national model for how Republican governors can partner with the Trump administration to enforce immigration laws that the Biden administration refused to implement.
DeSantis proved once again that he won’t let activist judges and environmental extremists derail his efforts to make Florida safer for American citizens.
¹ Ron DeSantis, Twitter/X post, August 11, 2025.
² Alex Lanfranconi, Statement to media, August 11, 2025.
³ Donald Trump, Comments during Alligator Alcatraz tour, July 2025.
⁴ Eve Samples, Statement from Friends of the Everglades, August 11, 2025.
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Author: rgcory
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