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TALLAHASSY, Fla. (AP) — Environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday to block an immigration detention center built on a runway in the heart of the Florida Everglades.
The lawsuit seeks to halt the project until it undergoes a strict environmental review, as required by federal law. There should also be opportunities for public comment, according to the lawsuit filed in Miami federal court.
The center, called “Alligator Alcatraz” by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is scheduled to begin processing people who enter the United States soon next week, the governor said on “Fox and Friends” Friday.
The state is building a complex of sturdy tents, trailers and other temporary buildings at a Miami-Dade County-owned airfield in Big Cypress National Reserve, about 45 miles (72 km) west of downtown Miami.
The lawsuit names several federal and state agencies as defendants.
