The Department of Justice is pushing back hard against environmentalist lawsuits attempting to block the completion of Florida’s new 5,000-bed detention facility for illegal immigrants, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The facility, located deep in the Florida Everglades on the site of a former airstrip, received its first detainees on Wednesday, according to PBS. But legal challenges from left-wing activist groups are already trying to halt progress.
The DOJ filed a formal motion to oppose these efforts, declaring the lawsuits to be “baseless, politically motivated legal schemes.”
“The Department of Justice has defended President Trump’s immigration agenda in court since day one, and we are proud to protect ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from baseless attacks,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Activists Try to Weaponize Environmental Law
Two radical groups — Friends of the Everglades Inc. and the Center for Biological Diversity — filed a lawsuit claiming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was violated because the project supposedly lacked a federal environmental review.
But the DOJ quickly dismantled that claim, noting that the detention center is:
“DHS has not implemented, authorized, directed, or funded Florida’s temporary detention center,” the DOJ’s legal filing states.
In other words: This is a state-run facility, and the feds have no obligation to run environmental interference just because the Left doesn’t like Trump’s immigration policies.
Bondi and Gustafson Slam “Political Theater”
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson warned that delaying the facility would harm immigration enforcement efforts and worsen overcrowding at existing centers.
“We are proud to defend against these unfounded claims and to help the administration fulfill its fundamental obligation to prioritize the safety and security of Americans,” Gustafson said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: Site Chosen to Minimize Environmental Impact
Governor Ron DeSantis also pushed back on the narrative that the site poses an environmental threat.
“We are using the existing footprint of this airport,” DeSantis said, referring to the former airstrip where the facility is being built.
“Because this is an important part of Florida, we specifically chose a location to reduce environmental concerns.”
The federal filing backs this up, noting:
The lawsuit also fails to prove “irreparable harm,” a requirement for injunctions.
Obama Built Cages — Now the Left Cries Over “Alligator Alcatraz”
Conservatives were quick to call out the hypocrisy:
“I don’t want to hear a single word—or see another outrage post—from Democrats about ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’ These are the same people who turned a blind eye when Obama built the cages for illegals and Biden kept using them,” said one viral post.
