Uncertainty Surrounds “Alligator Alcatraz” as Legal Challenges Mount and Detainee Numbers Dwindle

Protests Erupt Outside Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Amid Legal Turmoil

Everglades, FL — July 22, 2025 — A wave of protests surged outside the controversial ICE detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” as demonstrators rallied against the facility’s operations and its potential environmental impact. The protests follow a significant legal development: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it would cease sending detainees to the facility after a preliminary injunction was issued by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.

The injunction, which came in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe, has raised questions about the future of the detention center, located in the heart of the Florida Everglades. An Associated Press report revealed an email exchange between Kevin Guthrie, Director of the state Division of Emergency Management, and a South Florida rabbi, indicating that the facility could soon be empty. “We are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days,” Guthrie stated.

Despite this, state and federal officials are appealing the injunction, seeking a stay from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If granted, the stay would allow the facility to resume operations while the court reviews the underlying issues of the case. In a joint status report filed Tuesday, state officials expressed confidence that the appeals court would overturn the injunction, allowing them to ramp up operations at the facility.

“The state defendants remain confident that the Eleventh Circuit will stay, and eventually overturn, the preliminary injunction,” the report stated. However, it did not clarify how many detainees currently remain at the facility or whether additional detainees would be sent if the stay is granted.

The detention center, constructed this summer under Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration, was intended to bolster federal efforts to deport undocumented individuals. However, it has faced multiple legal challenges, including accusations of violating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Opponents argue that the facility poses significant environmental risks, being situated near the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Judge Williams’s injunction not only halts further construction but also mandates the removal of temporary structures and equipment within 60 days. In response, state attorneys have argued that NEPA does not apply to the facility since it is state-operated, despite its federal immigration function.

Environmental advocates have countered this claim, asserting that the facility’s very purpose—to detain individuals for ICE—makes it a federal action subject to NEPA regulations. “Florida cannot legally operate an immigration detention center without federal approval,” they argued in their response to the appeals court.

As the legal battle unfolds, the state has announced plans to open a new detention center at Baker Correctional Institution, a shuttered prison in Baker County, and is considering another facility in Northwest Florida. Meanwhile, the protests outside the Everglades facility continue to grow, with activists demanding accountability and transparency regarding the treatment of detainees and the environmental implications of the detention center.

The situation remains fluid, with the appeals court yet to decide on the stay request. As the protests persist, the fate of the “Alligator Alcatraz” hangs in the balance, reflecting broader tensions over immigration policy, environmental protection, and human rights in the state of Florida.