Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to resist a federal judge’s order shutting down the controversial detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The facility has been a hub of illegal alien deportations in the State of Florida. However, DeSantis appears to have anticipated the judge’s move and has instituted a ‘back-up plan.’
“This was not something that was unexpected. This is a judge that was not going to give us a fair shake. This was preordained. Very much an activist judge that is trying to do policy from the bench,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “This is not going to deter us. We are going to continue working on the deportations, advancing that mission.”
The comments came after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, issued an 82-page order halting new detainees at the facility in Ochopee, Florida, and requiring its dismantling within 60 days. Williams cited the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and claims of environmental harm raised by the Miccosukee Tribe and advocacy groups.
Williams wrote that the site’s construction “creates irreparable harm in the form of habitat loss and increased mortality to endangered species in the area,” specifically referencing the Florida panther. She ordered industrial lighting, fencing, generators, sewage facilities, and other infrastructure removed. Florida officials blasted the ruling as a political maneuver.
