Official photo of the Department of Homeland Security, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams will hear testimony and arguments Wednesday in Miami from environmental groups seeking an injunction against the State of Florida and the Trump Administration for the construction of the immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." The groups Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity announced the hearing in a press release obtained by More Latin.
The environmental litigation organization Earthjustice represents these groups. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of South Florida joined the lawsuit last week. The hearing is about a lawsuit Filed by Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity on June 27, accusing the State of Florida and the Trump Administration of violating the Environmental Protection Act during the construction of the Alligator Alcatraz:
“The detention center, which could house thousands of detainees, endangers the sensitive wetlands of the National Wildlife Refuge, the fragile Everglades ecosystem, and the federally protected endangered species that inhabit the area. Furthermore, the center threatens to reverse billions of dollars invested in environmental restoration efforts in the area.” – Friends of the Everglades.
Alligator Alcatraz
The Alligator Alcatraz is an immigration detention center designed to detain immigrants while they await removal to another country. It was built in an area important for Florida's biodiversity, and its operation poses a danger to the surrounding flora and fauna.
Alligator Alcatraz has been the center of much controversy in recent months. This is a result not only of the damage it represents to the environment, but also of the mistreatment alleged by immigrants detained there. On July 7, Several prisoners described a series of human and religious rights abuses at Alligator Alcatraz. The authorities running the detention center have ignored these complaints.
Despite protests from groups like Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, the State of Florida and the Trump administration completed construction of Alligator Alcatraz and continue to use it to detain immigrants. In late July, activists alleged that more than 1,000 people are currently detained at Alligator Alcatraz.
Complaint from Friends of the Everglades and Center for Biological Diversity
The demand The lawsuit Judge Williams will hear tomorrow accuses authorities of building the Alligator Alcatraz without complying with the requirements of the National Environmental Protection Act. It also alleges that the government carried out the construction without informing the public and in violation of other federal laws.
Therefore, the lawsuit seeks a court order to halt the use and construction of the Alligator Alcatraz. This halt would be until the government authorities responsible for the center comply with the necessary environmental requirements. A favorable ruling by Judge Williams would represent a significant victory for these environmental groups. It would force the federal and state governments to reconsider the use of this extremely cruel detention center.
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