Environmental Groups Urge Court to Lift Halt on Florida Everglades Detention Center Closure
Environmental organizations have petitioned a federal appellate court panel to lift a temporary stay preventing the closure of an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' A lower court had previously ordered the facility to wind down operations due to a failure to conduct a required federal environmental impact review. The appellate court initially halted this order, citing arguments from Florida and the Trump administration that state officials were not yet eligible for federal reimbursement and thus exempt from federal environmental laws. During oral arguments, judges questioned the extent of federal control versus state authority over the facility. While Florida officials argue complete federal control is necessary for the law to apply, environmental attorneys contend that federal funding authorization and the nature of immigration enforcement constitute sufficient federal involvement. The outcome remains pending as the three-judge panel deliberates.
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Environmental Groups Urge Court to Lift Halt on Florida Everglades Detention Center Closure
Environmental organizations have petitioned a federal appellate court panel to lift a temporary stay preventing the closure of an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' A lower court had previously ordered the facility to wind down operations due to a failure to conduct a required federal environmental impact review. The appellate court initially halted this order, citing arguments from Florida and the Trump administration that state officials were not yet eligible for federal reimbursement and thus exempt from federal environmental laws. During oral arguments, judges questioned the extent of federal control versus state authority over the facility. While Florida officials argue complete federal control is necessary for the law to apply, environmental attorneys contend that federal funding authorization and the nature of immigration enforcement constitute sufficient federal involvement. The outcome remains pending as the three-judge panel deliberates.
AP News