Immigration and Customs Enforcement

A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration and the federal government fight a judge's order to shutter the facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by late October. That's according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press.

Amid a flurry of legal fights, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to put on hold a judge’s ruling that required winding down operations of the Everglades immigrant-detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”Attorneys for the state filed a 52-page motion at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seeking a stay of a preliminary injunction issued last week by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups and joined by the Miccosukee Tribe.

The federal government has asked a Miami judge to pause her order to close an immigration detention center in Florida's Everglades, known as "Alligator Alcatraz." Attorneys for the Department of Homeland Security say the closure would disrupt immigration law enforcement. They requested a decision by Monday. The federal agency says the facility, which opened in July, is needed due to overcrowded detention centers in Florida. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe oppose the request, arguing the project threatens sensitive wetlands. Civil rights groups on Friday filed a third lawsuit over practices at the facility, saying Florida has no authority to operate it.

Calling it "exactly the kind of disaster that Congress took pains to avoid," attorneys for immigrants held at a detention center in the Everglades filed a lawsuit alleging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration lacks the authority to run the facility.The lawsuit, filed Friday in the federal court’s Middle District of Florida, is the third major legal challenge to the detention center, erected by the DeSantis’ administration as part of the state’s support of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

A federal judge has halted further expansion of the immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades. The judge on Thursday also ordered the facility to wind down operations within two months. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams stated that Florida officials never adequately explained the need for the facility in the middle of the sensitive wetlands. She also noted that state and federal defendants failed to conduct an environmental review before building the detention center. Federal and Florida officials had hailed the facility as a model for President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

Plaintiffs react following judges order to dismantle Alligator Alcatraz over the next 60 days

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is ramping up its hiring efforts to support President Donald Trump's mass deportation goals. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia is training new recruits. Concerns about training standards have been raised, but ICE officials insist they are maintaining quality. Training includes firearms, driving techniques, de-escalation and immigration law, with a focus on the Fourth Amendment and immigration law. The agency is receiving $76.5 billion from Congress, with $30 billion earmarked for new staff. ICE aims to hire 10,000 new deportation officers by the end of the year.

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting further expansion of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” as it winds down its operations in 60 days to comply with environmental laws. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argue the project violates environmental laws and threatens sensitive wetlands. The center, built almost two months ago, currently holds several hundred detainees but could expand to 3,000. The lawsuit claims the state and federal governments failed to comply with environmental regulations.

Immigrants face increased risks this hurricane season due to aggressive immigration enforcement. A Florida agricultural worker fears seeking shelter from storms because of potential encounters with immigration agents. The Trump administration's policies have intensified these concerns, making shelters fair game for apprehension. Local law enforcement's collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement exacerbates the situation. Efforts by President Donald Trump's Republican administration to expand immigration enforcement capacity mean many disaster response agencies are entangled in immigration enforcement in hurricane-prone Florida and Texas. Nonprofits and community organizations are providing support, but fear and uncertainty among immigrants remain high.