A federal judge on Aug. 7 ordered a temporary halt to further construction at an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," while a lawsuit over its environmental impact unfolds in court.
At a hearing in Miami, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued an order halting any new construction at the facility through Aug. 12, according to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Williams' temporary restraining order "means that new construction, including filling, paving, installation of new infrastructure, and installation of new lighting, must stop immediately," according to a statement from a coalition of Florida environmental and conservation groups.
The statement added: "That will last for 14 days while the parties complete their hearing on the conservation groups’ motion for a preliminary injunction. Meanwhile, the lawsuit, originally filed by the groups on June 27, is allowed to proceed."
The lawsuit, among other things, alleges that the center "poses serious threats to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem, endangered species, clean water, and dark night skies."
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