Judge weighs control at Everglades detention site

Environmental groups and a Native tribe challenge a Florida detention center and ask a federal judge to determine who ultimately controls it under law.

Judge weighs control at Everglades detention site

A four day hearing in Miami centered on a single question: who exactly runs the immigration detention site in the Florida Everglades known to locals as Alligator Alcatraz. Judges and lawyers sifts through who has authority over the facility as the state and federal government clash over responsibility for operations, environmental protections and public input. Florida argues the center is state-run under ICE authority, while opponents say federal control is clear and NEPA should guide any action. The judge asked repeatedly, Who is in charge at the site, a question that goes to power as much as process.

The dispute frames a larger tension between federal immigration policy and environmental safeguarding. If control rests with the state, critics warn the project could dodge environmental review and public input that NEPA normally requires. If the federal government has a say, protections for wetlands and wildlife could become a post hoc concern rather than a guiding rule. The case could set a precedent for future projects near fragile ecosystems, where speed and urgency in enforcement collide with long term stewardship.

Highlights

The court has promised a timely ruling that will determine how the state and federal governments proceed in the weeks ahead.