Environmental organizations have initiated a federal lawsuit in an effort to halt the construction of the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz,” an immigrant detention center situated near the Everglades in Florida. Filed in the Southern District, the suit argues that officials failed to adequately assess the ecological repercussions of establishing the facility at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport.
Groups such as Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity claim that the construction, which commenced following the project’s approval by the Trump administration, poses significant risks to local wildlife and environmental quality.
Officials, including Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security, have dismissed the lawsuit as baseless, emphasizing that the land has been in use for over a decade. The proposed detention center is designed to accommodate 5,000 detainees and is purportedly safeguarded by the natural presence of alligators and pythons.
Protesters, including members of Native American communities, rallied against the project, stressing the need to protect their homeland from pollution and environmental degradation. The legal filings assert that the construction violates the National Environmental Policy Act and other local regulations, citing potential harm to wetlands, wildlife, and air and water quality.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proclaimed that the project will be temporary, aiming to bolster enforcement of immigration laws without lasting impacts on the area.
Source: www.foxnews.com
