A federal judge in Miami has temporarily halted construction on the controversial migrant detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” issuing a 14-day pause as legal battles over environmental and human rights concerns escalate.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams announced Thursday that the temporary restraining order applies to all ongoing construction activities — including lighting, paving, excavation, and fencing — but does not impact detainees currently housed at the facility or those who may be brought in during the pause.

“Until the laws are followed,” environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe have argued, “Judge Kathleen Williams should issue a preliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction.”

The legal challenge, filed by environmental organizations and the Miccosukee Tribe, claims that the detention center’s construction threatens ecologically sensitive wetlands — habitat to federally protected plant and animal species — and could undermine decades of costly environmental restoration in the region.

The Lawsuit’s Core Arguments

The plaintiffs say the federal government failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a 55-year-old law requiring agencies to:

• Assess potential environmental impacts
• Identify mitigation measures
• Provide opportunities for public comment

By bypassing these steps, the suit claims, federal and state agencies violated both the law and the public trust.

The detention facility, built over a month ago by the state of Florida on an isolated airstrip owned by Miami-Dade County, has been at the center of multiple legal disputes. While the environmental lawsuit focuses on NEPA violations, a separate lawsuit by civil rights organizations alleges that detainees’ constitutional rights are being denied.

That suit accuses officials of:

• Preventing detainees from meeting with lawyers
• Holding individuals without charges
• Canceling immigration bond hearings

A hearing in the civil rights case is scheduled for August 18.

Jurisdiction Dispute

Attorneys for the federal and state governments are pushing back, arguing that the Miami court is the wrong venue for the environmental lawsuit since the facility is physically located in Collier County, which falls under Florida’s Middle District jurisdiction. Judge Williams has yet to rule on whether the case will be dismissed or transferred.

Broader Implications

The pause on construction comes amid indications that Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to build a second immigration detention facility at a Florida National Guard training site in North Florida. State records list the new project as the “North Detention Facility”, with at least one contract already awarded.

Environmental advocates say the temporary restraining order is only the first step in what could become a prolonged legal battle over the state’s detention policies and environmental protections in South Florida. Civil rights groups are also signaling that if constitutional violations continue, they will seek permanent federal oversight of the facility.

For now, the wetlands around “Alligator Alcatraz” — and the communities fighting to protect them — have a brief legal reprieve.

Originally reported by Hunter Geisel in CBS News.