Obama-Appointed Judge Halts ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Construction In Response To Environmentalist Lawsuit

A federal judge on Thursday ordered a temporary pause on all construction at “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida as a lawsuit against the facility continues.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, appointed to the bench by the Obama administration in 2011, issued a temporary restraining order against any further construction of the migrant detention center while debate over whether it violates environmental laws plays out, according to multiple newsoutlets. However, the temporary restraining order, which will last 14 days, does not affect the detainees who are currently held in the facility.

Williams’ order determined 🛂Immigration and Customs (ICE) and the Florida Division of Emergency Management likely violated the National Environmental Policy by not undergoing an environmental review before opening the facility. The judge also added that she would issue a written order later in the day.

“I think that evidence is sufficient to support the plaintiffs’ claims,” the Obama-appointed judge stated Thursday, noting that the plaintiffs had introduced evidence of “ongoing environmental harms,” according to Politico.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier first proposed