Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday hit back against a federal judge's order to dismantle Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center, saying the state will press forward with President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda despite the legal setback, Politico reported.
Florida is moving ahead with its immigration crackdown even as a federal court ordered the state to shutter one of its most visible detention centers, pending appeal.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama-era appointee, ruled Thursday that the Everglades-based facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" must be dismantled within 60 days, citing environmental concerns. The order, which effectively blesses an ecological attack on the facility, requires the state to remove fencing, lighting and generators, effectively ending the center's operations.
Florida appealed the decision Friday morning to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
"This is a judge that was not going to give us a fair shake," DeSantis said during an event in Panama City. "This was preordained, very much an activist judge that is trying to do policy from the bench."
The governor insisted the ruling would not derail the state's efforts to partner with the Trump administration on deportations. "This is not going to deter us. We're going to continue working on the deportations, advancing that mission," he added.
Florida has positioned itself at the forefront of immigration enforcement, authorizing state agencies to sign agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The state has also taken on high-profile cases, including dispatching Lt. Gov. Jay Collins to California this week to oversee the extradition of an immigrant from India accused of killing three people in a tractor-trailer truck crash.
DeSantis argued that the previous administration failed to carry out removal orders, leaving the current system overburdened.
"You have people that are in this country that have already been ordered to be removed by the current system, and yet the previous administration didn't want to do anything about it," he said. "We're now in this position where we're leading the state efforts to help the Trump administration actually enforce the law and actually remove these illegal aliens from not just Florida, but from our country."
While the court battle over "Alligator Alcatraz" plays out, Florida is preparing to open a new detention facility west of Jacksonville. Dubbed "Deportation Depot," the site will be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution and initially hold 1,300 beds, with plans to expand to 2,000.
"We're not going to be deterred; we're totally in the right on this," DeSantis said. "But I would also note, because of the success of 'Alligator Alcatraz,' there's demand for more."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.