ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday denied a request for a preliminary injunction to close an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' stating that a detainee had not shown he was suffering irreparable harm at the facility.
U.S. District Judge Kyle Dudek indicated that the detainee known as M.A. in court documents did not meet the high standard necessary for a preliminary injunction while his challenge to the facility is under litigation in Fort Myers, Florida.
'While there may indeed be deficiencies at Alligator Alcatraz that ultimately justify its dissolution, the plaintiff has not made the extraordinary showing needed to justify immediate relief of such magnitude,' explained Dudek, appointed by President Donald Trump.
M.A.'s lawsuit is part of a trio of federal lawsuits contesting practices at the detention center, which was established this summer by the administration of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at a remote airstrip in the Everglades.
His lawsuit argues that immigration is a federal issue, claiming that Florida agencies and private contractors do not have the authority to operate the facility according to federal law. It further alleges that detainees who enter the center lose track in the normal detainee tracking system and encounter significant obstacles in accessing legal assistance.
'The statute requires federal control over all delegated enforcement activities. Yet Florida asserts that it has total control over detention decisions,' M.A. stated in his request for a preliminary injunction.
Judge Dudek commented that he was proceeding with caution in denying the request since 'the plaintiff is essentially asking this court to close a sizable and expensive detention facility, all before any decision on the merits of its legality.'
In a separate ruling last summer, a federal judge ordered the facility to reduce operations over concerns regarding its environmental impact, although an appellate court temporarily permitted the center to remain open. A third lawsuit by detainees seeks to ensure access to confidential communication with their attorneys, which has been hampered by appointment scheduling requirements at the facility. Judges in that case have sought to encourage an out-of-court resolution amid complications facing detainees.
