US court blocks expansion of Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center

A federal court in Miami has halted plans to expand the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center in Florida.

According to Report, citing NBC News, Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that authorities failed to assess whether the facility’s operation would have a harmful impact on the environment. The decision is not final, and both sides are expected to continue contesting the case in court.

Under Williams’ ruling, the center may continue to operate but is prohibited from expanding—either in size or infrastructure—and from housing new migrants. Within 60 days, the facility’s administration has been ordered to dismantle all generators, gas equipment, sewage systems, and lighting.

NBC News notes it remains unclear how the center could continue functioning without this equipment.

Environmental advocates welcomed the decision, arguing that the facility damages the ecosystem. The area is 96% wetlands, home to endangered species such as the Florida panther.

The detention center, made up of trailers and tents, is located on an old runway in the Everglades nature reserve. The site previously served as a military airfield and later as a training ground. The center has a capacity of 3,000 migrants, though currently houses about 700 people.