Ron DeSantis gave one Obama judge a message that left her fuming

The swamp thought they had Ron DeSantis backed into a corner.

An activist judge tried to shut down Florida’s immigration enforcement with one bogus ruling.

But Ron DeSantis gave one Obama judge a message that left her fuming.

DeSantis tells activist judge to take a hike

Look, here’s what happened – and you’re going to love this.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee (of course), issued a ruling last week demanding that Florida shut down its “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in the Everglades within 60 days.¹

The environmental groups and their lawyers thought they had DeSantis cornered with their lawsuit claiming the facility violates federal environmental laws.

But DeSantis had a message for Williams and her activist buddies: Not happening.

“We’re not going to be deterred,” DeSantis declared during a Friday press conference in Panama City. “We are totally in the right on this.”²

The Florida governor didn’t mince words about what he thought of Williams’ ruling.

He called her exactly what she is – an “activist judge” – and said the injunction was “preordained” because she “was not going to give us a fair shake.”³

But here’s the part that really shows DeSantis gets it.

He saw this attack coming from miles away.

“We got news last night that we had a judge try to upset the apple cart with respect to our deportation and detainee processing center down in South Florida,” DeSantis explained. “I just wanted to say this was not something that was unexpected. We knew that this would be something that will likely happen and we will respond accordingly.”⁴

https://twitter.com/TRUMP_ARMY_/status/1960020506708439397

Florida doubles down on deportation efforts

You want to know what DeSantis did next?

He didn’t just talk – he acted.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that the state is planning to keep the facility running despite the court order.

“We’re going to continue operating the facility,” Uthmeier told WINK News. “We believe that it’s a fully lawful facility. This is an effort by environmentalists, by the left, by Democrats and by honestly this judge, to stall our immigration enforcement efforts.”⁵

Uthmeier nailed exactly what’s happening here.

“They do not like the deportations,” he said, noting that Florida had filed a notice to appeal the court ruling.⁶

The state immediately filed an appeal Thursday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta and followed up Tuesday with a 52-page motion asking the appeals court to put Williams’ ruling on hold.⁷

But DeSantis wasn’t done showing these swamp creatures how serious Florida is about enforcing immigration law.

https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1958947847337857132

He sent Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins all the way to California to secure the extradition of an immigrant from India who allegedly caused a fatal semi-truck crash that killed three people.⁸

And get this – Florida is already preparing to open a second detention facility.

The state is building what DeSantis calls the “Deportation Depot” in Baker County, west of Jacksonville, designed to hold up to 1,300 detainees initially with capacity for 2,000.⁹

The real reason behind the attack

Here’s what Williams and her environmental activist friends don’t want you to know.

The Alligator Alcatraz facility has been a massive success for President Trump’s deportation efforts.

The 3,000-person detention center in the Everglades has already processed deportations for at least 100 people since it opened July 1.¹⁰

Trump himself toured the facility last month and suggested it could be a model for future detention centers nationwide as his administration expands the infrastructure needed to increase deportations.¹¹

No wonder the Left is desperate to shut it down.

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe filed their lawsuit claiming the facility threatens “environmentally sensitive wetlands” and would reverse “billions of dollars spent over decades on environmental restoration.”¹²

But let’s be real about what this is actually about.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Miami field office director Garrett Ripa explained that the Everglades facility’s 2,000 beds are badly needed since detention facilities in Florida are overcrowded.

“Its removal would compromise the government’s ability to enforce immigration laws, safeguard public safety, protect national security, and maintain border security,” Ripa stated.¹³

The Obama judge’s ruling isn’t about protecting alligators – it’s about protecting illegal aliens from deportation.

Williams ordered the facility to halt ongoing construction, accept no new detainees, and remove all fencing, lighting, and generators within 60 days.¹⁴

That’s not environmental protection – that’s immigration obstruction.

DeSantis exposes the real game

Look, DeSantis gets exactly what the swamp is trying to pull here.

He’s been fighting these battles for years and he knows their playbook by heart.

The environmental lawsuit is just the latest weapon they’re using to try to stop Trump’s deportation agenda.

And DeSantis called them out for it.

He emphasized Florida’s commitment to deporting undocumented immigrants, particularly those with existing removal orders, through state-federal partnerships like the 287(g) agreements with ICE.¹⁵

Florida built the detention center using state funds and operates it under state control, which is why the National Environmental Policy Act doesn’t even apply to the facility.¹⁶

But the activist groups don’t care about legal technicalities – they care about stopping deportations.

Civil rights groups have already filed three separate lawsuits trying to shut down the facility using different legal theories.

One lawsuit claims detainees don’t have adequate access to lawyers.

Another claims Florida doesn’t have the authority to run immigration detention at all.¹⁷

You see the pattern here?

They’re throwing everything at the wall hoping something sticks because they can’t stand the fact that Florida is actually enforcing immigration law.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava celebrated Williams’ ruling, calling it “a victory for the families who have endured unimaginable hardship.”¹⁸

What she really means is it’s a victory for people who broke our immigration laws and don’t want to face the consequences.

But DeSantis isn’t backing down from this fight.

He knows that Florida voters elected him to enforce the law – not cave to activist judges and environmental extremists.

The appeals court will now decide whether Williams’ bogus ruling stands or whether Florida can continue doing what the federal government should have been doing all along.

Either way, DeSantis has made it crystal clear that Florida won’t be intimidated by Obama judges trying to obstruct immigration enforcement.

And that’s exactly the kind of backbone we need from our governors.

¹ Jim Saunders, “DeSantis administration asks appeals court to put ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ closing on hold,” WUSF, August 27, 2025.

² Rob Garguilo, “DeSantis Vows To Continue Immigration Enforcement Despite Court Ruling,” iHeartRadio, August 26, 2025.

³ Joe Brennan, “Florida’s plan B if Alligator Alcatraz closes: This is Ron DeSantis’ ‘Deportation Depot’,” The Canary, August 26, 2025.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Associated Press, “Feds fight to keep ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ open amid legal battle as 3rd challenge is filed,” Associated Press, August 26, 2025.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Jim Saunders, “DeSantis administration asks appeals court to put ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ closing on hold,” WUSF, August 27, 2025.

⁸ Rob Garguilo, “DeSantis Vows To Continue Immigration Enforcement Despite Court Ruling,” iHeartRadio, August 26, 2025.

⁹ Associated Press, “Feds fight to keep ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ open amid legal battle as 3rd challenge is filed,” Associated Press, August 26, 2025.

¹⁰ Ibid.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Ibid.

¹⁴ Jim Saunders, “DeSantis administration asks appeals court to put ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ closing on hold,” WUSF, August 27, 2025.

¹⁵ Rob Garguilo, “DeSantis Vows To Continue Immigration Enforcement Despite Court Ruling,” iHeartRadio, August 26, 2025.

¹⁶ Jim Saunders, “DeSantis administration asks appeals court to put ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ closing on hold,” WUSF, August 27, 2025.

¹⁷ Associated Press, “Feds fight to keep ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ open amid legal battle as 3rd challenge is filed,” Associated Press, August 26, 2025.

¹⁸ Joe Brennan, “Florida’s plan B if Alligator Alcatraz closes: This is Ron DeSantis’ ‘Deportation Depot’,” The Canary, August 26, 2025.