US judge orders shutdown of Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention centre

A US federal judge has ordered the closure of President Donald Trump’s controversial migrant detention centre in Florida dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”.

The order stated the facility was causing severe environmental damage to the Florida Everglades – a Unesco World Heritage Site – and gave the Trump administration 60 days to wind down its operations.

In addition, the 82-page ruling said no more detainees could be brought to the centre and it prohibited any new construction work or expansion at the site.

The state of Florida, which is partnering with the Trump administration in the building of the site, has already filed an appeal.

The decision is a major legal blow to Trump’s plans for the centre, which has attracted widespread criticism for its harsh conditions and potential harm to the local ecosystem.

In Thursday’s ruling, district court judge Kathleen Williams, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said the facility was causing irreparable harm to the Florida Everglades and its endangered species.

She also ordered the shut down of “all generators, gas, sewage, and other waste receptors”, which would greatly affect the centre’s ability to operate.

Judge Williams cited a 1960s plan to build a tourist airport in the Everglades that was rejected due to fears of the environmental harms it could cause.

“Since that time, every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and countless local and national political figures, including presidents, have publicly pledged their unequivocal support for the restoration, conservation, and protection of the Everglades,” she wrote.

“This order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfil those promises.”

The ruling is a preliminary injunction that temporarily restricts operations at the facility while a lawsuit brought by environmental groups against it is heard.

Environmental groups that mounted the legal challenge welcomed the ruling.

“This is a landmark victory for the Everglades and countless Americans who believe this imperilled wilderness should be protected, not exploited,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.

“It sends a clear message that environmental laws must be respected by leaders at the highest levels of our government – and there are consequences for ignoring them”.

Thursday’s decision comes after Judge Williams had already issued a temporary restraining order earlier this month which ordered the pause of construction at the site.

“Alligator Alcatraz” was billed as a centrepiece of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Built in the middle of a Miami swamp, its name comes from the wildlife of alligators, crocodiles and pythons in the surrounding wetlands – which Trump said would keep detainees from escaping.

The facility was designed to hold 3,000 detainees and touted as a model for future detention centres that would support the Trump administration’s deportation agenda.

During a visit to the facility in July, Trump praised its potential for holding the “most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet”.

But since starting operation, the site has been the subject of multiple lawsuits and complaints by environmental campaigners and local residents.

Experts previously warned the damage to area wetlands and endangered species could undo the Florida’s massive effort to restore the Everglades, which has cost the state billions of dollars. – BBC

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