The Court of Appeal issued an order on Thursday to stop the demolition of Wannial Catraz, a detention site for immigrants located in the Florida Everglades, originally established during the Trump administration.
In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit overturned a lower court decision that labeled the site as an environmental threat.
The majority opinion was penned by Trump appointees, Judges Barbara Lagoa and Elizabeth Branch, while Obama appointee Judge Adalberto Jordan dissented.
The majority opinion noted that the district court wrongly concluded that the defense for an improper venue was exempt from the government’s failure to raise it in its first response to a motion for a temporary restraining order.
Lagoa and Branch also expressed concern that permanently closing Wannial Catraz would cause irremediable harm to the government.
The ruling stated, “The federal defendants have shown that injunctions from the district court would undermine DHS’s ability to detain criminal aliens, enforce the law, and ensure border security.”
The Trump administration quickly hailed the decision.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, “This order is a victory for Americans, the rule of law, and common sense. The lawsuit was never about the environmental impact of transforming an airport into a detention facility.” They further claimed it was about activists and judges obstructing law enforcement efforts to remove dangerous criminal aliens.
While some celebrated the judge’s reversal of previous orders, others criticized the ruling, asserting that the battle was far from over.
A representative stated, “This case isn’t closed. In fact, it’s just the beginning, and we’re committed to this fight. I was disappointed by the limited stay order, but I didn’t expect an easy victory.
They added that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Trump administration seem intent on ramping up operations at detention centers despite the environmental concerns. The facility, which has incurred over $250 million in costs, will eventually close.
State officials had begun removing items from the Crocodile Alcatraz site after a federal district judge, appointed by former President Obama, ordered its closure.
However, Governor DeSantis has vowed to resist the shutdown of this state-funded facility. Following Thursday’s ruling, state officials are now trying to return operations to Wannial Catraz to hold detainees awaiting immigration proceedings.
