• Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to block a migrant detention center in the Everglades.
• The facility, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," is set to begin processing migrants imminently.
• The lawsuit claims the project violates federal environmental laws.
• Critics label the center a threat to endangered species and the delicate ecosystem.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defends the center as a necessary part of immigration policy.

Environmental organizations including the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Everglades filed a federal lawsuit in Miami on Friday to prevent the construction of a migrant detention center at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a site located in the heart of the Florida Everglades. The lawsuit calls for an expedited environmental review, emphasizing the need for public comment as mandated by federal law, given the area's delicate ecosystem, which includes a variety of endangered species, according to latimes, huffpost, and newsweek.

The detention facility, which has been nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" by state officials, is expected to start processing migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally as soon as next week. Defenders of the center, including Governor Ron DeSantis, claim it will bolster operations aimed at deportation and immigration enforcement. DeSantis stated that Florida is fully committed to supporting federal immigration policies, as evidenced by construction efforts underway at the site, despite ongoing legal challenges, according to huffpost and newsweek.

Critics argue that the establishment of the facility within a region recognized for its ecological significance poses a "cruel and inhumane" threat to both local wildlife and the environment. Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades, highlighted that the area is primarily wetland and houses numerous endangered species, which could be impacted severely by the facility's operations. The lawsuit aims to enforce compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, designed to safeguard areas like the Everglades, according to huffpost and newsweek.

In contrast, Florida officials, including DeSantis's spokesman, suggest that the facility is a necessary staging area for federal immigration enforcement efforts and has no significant adverse effects on the surrounding environment. The state maintains that the facility is strategically located at a pre-existing airport, thus justifying its construction despite the legal challenges, as stated by huffpost and newsweek.