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US judge halts construction at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’, Trump-touted ICE facility
The detention facility was made to hold undocumented immigrants detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
A United States judge has put a halt on the construction going on at the immigrant detention center in Florida called ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ as she hears a case about the impact of the construction on the sensitive ecosystem of the area.
Judge Kathleen Williams put a restraining order on the new construction going on at the site, however, the centre can continue to house detained illegal immigrants, as per the order on Thursday.
Why is it called ‘Alligator Alcatraz’?
The center was built over two months back about 50 kilometers west of Miami on an abandoned airfield and is surrounded by swamps filled some of the most dangerous wildlife in the US.
Taking its colloquial name from alligator the reptile and a former prison called the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in California.
The Trump administration sees the harsh conditions here — including the remote location and presence of Everglades wildlife such as alligators, snakes and others — as natural security for housing undocumented immigrants.
The project was built as part of the Trump administration’s intense crackdown on illegal immigration in the US. It was made to hold undocumented immigrants detained by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The center was made to hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures.
When opened, the camp was equipped with over 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel, according to an AP report.
When US President Donald Trump visited the site last month, he jokingly said, “A lot of bodyguards and a lot of cops in the form of alligators — you don't have to pay them so much… I wouldn't want to run through the Everglades for long. It will keep people where they're supposed to be.”
What is the lawsuit against it?
Conservation groups Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the construction going on at the centre, saying that it is hurting the sensitive ecosystem of the region. According to the lawsuit, the centre was built in a hurry without properly studying its environmental impact .
The groups have welcomed the court decision. "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, executive director at Friends of the Everglades, said in a statement.
Center for Biological Diversity’s attorney Elise Bennett said that it was a "relief that the court has stepped in to protect the Everglades' sensitive waters, starry skies and vulnerable creatures from further harm while we continue our case."
"We're ready to press forward and put a stop to this despicable plan for good," she added.
(With inputs from AP)
