A federal appeals court has overturned a legal order requiring Florida and the US administration to terminate operations at the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention centre, allowing it to stay open.


In a 2-1 ruling, the appellate court in Atlanta, Georgia, granted a request from Florida officials and the US Department of Homeland Security to block a lower court's injunction while a lawsuit is ongoing.


Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated, Alligator Alcatraz is in fact, like we've always said, open for business. This follows a prior ruling by US District Judge Kathleen Williams mandating a halt to the facility's expansion and its dismantling within 60 days.


Judge Williams, appointed by former President Barack Obama, had sided with environmental advocacy groups and a Native American tribe claiming the facility had not undergone necessary federal environmental reviews. The Department of Homeland Security had started moving detainees from the Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in compliance with her court order.


However, the 11th Circuit concluded that state and federal officials likely had a valid argument stating the facility is not subject to the National Environmental Policy Act because it has not yet received federal funding. Two judges appointed by Trump supported the ruling, while one Obama-appointee dissented.


The DHS called the ruling a win for the American people, the rule of law and common sense, asserting, This lawsuit was never about the environmental impacts of turning a developed airport into a detention facility. It has always been about open-borders activists and judges attempting to prevent law enforcement from detaining dangerous criminal aliens from our communities.

DeSantis welcomed the appeals court decision, rebuking previous environmental claims as implausible.


Environmental organisations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed deep concern over the decision. A spokesperson highlighted, this ruling represents a heartbreaking blow to America's Everglades and every living creature that resides there, while indicating that the legal battle is far from over.


The Miccosukee Tribe, which claims the facility threatens their ancestral lands, has not commented on the recent developments.