Feds Reimburse Florida $608M for “Alligator Alcatraz’
Trucks come and go from the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades in this Aug. 28 photo. [ REBECCA BLACKWELL | AP ]
Federal officials announced Friday that Florida has been reimbursed $608 million for the construction and operation of an immigration detention center in the Everglades, a development that could once again place the facility—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”—at risk of closure.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed by email that Florida received its full reimbursement request. The decision carries major legal implications.
Back in August, a Miami judge sided with environmental groups who argued the project bypassed necessary environmental reviews before being converted into a detention center. The ruling gave Florida two months to shut down operations. That injunction, however, was temporarily halted by an appellate court panel in Atlanta. The panel ruled that the state facility was not required to undergo a federally mandated environmental impact study since no federal funding had been provided at that point.
The appellate judges wrote, “If the federal defendants ultimately decide to approve that request and reimburse Florida for its expenditures related to the facility, they may need to first conduct an EIS (environmental impact statement).”
Their ruling kept the center open and stopped shutdown efforts. But with the federal government now confirming the $608 million reimbursement, environmental advocates say the case has turned.
“This proves the Florida facility was a federal project from day one,” said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ll do everything we can to stop this lawless, destructive, and wasteful debacle.”
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