A federal judge in Miami halted construction at the recently erected federal immigration center in the Florida Everglades, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” by the Trump administration.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams on Thursday halts any new construction at the facility for two weeks following a lawsuit by environmental groups and the area’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians.
“We’re pleased that the judge saw the urgent need to put a pause on additional construction, and we look forward to advancing our ultimate goal of protecting the unique and imperiled Everglades ecosystem from further damage caused by this mass detention facility,” Eve Samples, the executive director of Friends of the Everglades, said in a statement after the ruling.