• A federal appeals court rules Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" can remain operational.
• The ruling temporarily halts a lower court's order to dismantle the facility amid environmental concerns.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claims the ruling is a win for Trump's immigration enforcement agenda.
• The detention center, built quickly, has faced legal challenges from environmental groups.

A federal appeals court ruled that Florida's controversial immigration detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," can continue operations while legal challenges proceed against it. This decision came from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which blocked a lower court's ruling requiring the facility to cease accepting new detainees and to initiate dismantlement procedures. In a 2-1 decision, the court indicated that the site does not fall under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because it is primarily state-run and funded, as opposed to federally managed, according to CBS News, The Independent, and ABC News.

The ruling represents a significant victory for the Trump administration and Florida officials, with Governor Ron DeSantis proclaiming that "Alligator Alcatraz is open for business," signaling a continuation of Florida's unique role in running the facility typically overseen by federal authorities. In a push back against the environmental concerns raised, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the lawsuit primarily serves the interests of "open-borders activists" rather than legitimate environmental protections, as reported by Newsweek and South China Morning Post.

The facility has been designed to accommodate thousands of detainees and is currently facing legal scrutiny from several environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, which argue that its construction and operation threaten the sensitive Everglades ecosystem. Critics emphasize that the site was hastily assembled and lacks proper environmental assessment, according to BBC, TRT World, and Reuters.