(OCHOPEE, Fla.)-- A federal judge is ordering the Trump administration and the state of Florida to effectively wind down operations at the controversial immigrant detention center in the Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz" over environmental concerns.
In an 82-page ruling Thursday evening, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams granted a preliminary injunction that prohibits the government from transferring any additional detainees to the site or performing any more construction work.
Williams had issued a temporary restraining order two weeks ago blocking additional construction at the site.
There were two major lawsuits challenging the use of the facility -- one based on the limited legal access to the facility and another based on environmental concerns. Earlier this week, a federal judge dismissed part of the lawsuit related to legal access because the Department of Justice designated a nearby immigration court for the facility.