Appeals Court Blocks Activist Judge’s Order, Gives Green Light for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Operations to Continue
by Frank Bergman
A federal appeals court has just dropped the hammer on a Democrat-aligned activist judge who issued an order to block operations at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center.
On Thursday, the appeals court halted a ruling from Barack Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.
Williams’ order would have shut down Alligator Alcatraz.
The three-judge panel in Atlanta decided by a 2-1 vote to stay the activist judge’s order pending the outcome of an appeal, saying it was in the public interest.
The ruling allows the facility to continue holding detainees while the case moves forward.
Last month, Williams’ injunction ordered Florida to wind down operations at the Everglades facility by the end of October.
Williams had also blocked the state from further expanding the detention site and required the equipment and fencing to be removed.
Her order stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Friends of the Everglades, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Miccosukee Tribe, who argued that the state and federal government had skirted environmental review requirements.
They claimed the facility threatens protected wetlands and wildlife.
Environmental activists blasted Thursday’s ruling.
“This is a heartbreaking blow to America’s Everglades and every living creature there, but the case isn’t even close to over,” Elise Bennett, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.