A new legal battle is brewing in Florida as environmental groups attempt to halt the construction of a major Trump-backed immigration detention center deep in the Everglades.
The 5,000-bed facility is already under development at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
The facility has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by critics, and it’s now the subject of a federal lawsuit filed Friday by left-wing activist groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida, claims the Biden-era National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures were bypassed and alleges the Trump administration and Florida officials failed to conduct proper environmental impact studies before greenlighting the project.
Yet, as construction begins, critics of the suit say it’s a desperate and politically motivated attempt to block enforcement of immigration laws.
“It’s a lazy lawsuit,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, “and it ignores the fact that this land has already been developed for a decade.”
Despite claims of environmental harm to nearby wetlands and wildlife, the 30-square-mile site has long been a dormant airport facility with existing infrastructure.
The new plan calls for temporary modular housing units, sanitation systems, lighting, and generators, all elements necessary for detaining illegal immigrants in one of the most remote and secure locations imaginable.
The site is bordered by alligator-infested swamps and python territory, making escapes virtually impossible.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in Friday, calling the project a “temporary solution” to a very real crisis.
“It’s all temporary,” DeSantis told Fox News.
“We’ll set it up, and we’ll break it down.
“This isn’t our first rodeo.
“The impact will be zero.”
DeSantis praised the facility as a “force multiplier” in support of President Trump’s tough immigration enforcement.
“We’re doing what Biden refused to do—restore law and order to our borders,” he added.
Critics of the project, including tribal representatives and environmental protesters, rallied outside the site over the weekend, calling it an attack on their homeland and the surrounding ecosystem.
But Florida officials argue the facility is vital to processing the historic number of illegal aliens.
The huge numbers were driven largely by the Biden administration’s failed open-border policies.
The lawsuit names multiple Trump-aligned officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, and Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie.
It seeks an immediate injunction to halt construction.
State officials estimate the site will cost approximately $450 million annually, but FEMA is expected to reimburse those costs, underscoring the seriousness with which the Trump administration views the immigration crisis.
As construction continues, critics of the lawsuit note the irony: Democrats and their allied environmental groups were silent during the Biden years when illegal border crossings flooded small towns and overwhelmed social services.
Now that Trump is enforcing the law again, they’re suddenly concerned with pythons and power generators.
The battle over “Alligator Alcatraz” is shaping up to be more than just an environmental skirmish.
It’s the latest front in the war over America’s sovereignty, and Trump’s America First immigration agenda isn’t backing down.
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