Judge ordered the demolition of the "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention center: full demolition expected in 60 days

The migrant detention center was built in the Florida swamps without proper inspection. Environmentalists prepared a series of complaints about the harmful impact on local flora and fauna, and, appealing to the court, won the case.

UNN reports with reference to Agence France-Presse and ORF.

Details

On Thursday, Florida Judge Kathleen Williams prohibited the Trump administration and Florida authorities from holding new migrants in the detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." The judge prohibited the transfer of any additional persons "not yet held at the facility." Lighting systems, generators, as well as waste and sewage systems must be removed. That is, the detention center will be demolished. According to the court decision, numerous premises must be demolished within 60 days.

The administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida announced that it would appeal the decision.

Judge Kathleen Williams' decision, issued on Thursday, came after a lawsuit filed by two groups — Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity — who argue that the center threatens the fragile ecosystem of the surrounding wetlands and was built without conducting environmental impact studies.

In early August 2025, the judge had already issued an order to temporarily suspend all new construction at the center.

Recall

Regarding another famous prison, located on an island in San Francisco Bay. In May, US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he had instructed the country's Federal Bureau of Prisons to restore and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay.