A federal appeals court on Thursday blocked a federal judge’s order to close down Alligator Alcatraz.
Last month US District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, barred the Trump Administration from bringing new illegal alien detainees to Alligator Alcatraz. She also ordered the facility to be dismantled within 60 days.
Alligator Alcatraz is a detention center for illegal aliens, many of whom are rapists, murderers, and designated foreign terrorists.
The facility, which opened over the summer at the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis, is surrounded by Florida’s natural defenses, including alligators, pythons, and dense swampland in the Florida Everglades.
Judge Williams previously cited environmental violations for her two-week pause on future construction.
“The facility can continue to operate and hold detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but workers will be barred from adding any new filling, paving or infrastructure for the next 14 days. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the ruling during a hearing and said she will issue a written order later Thursday,” The Associated Press reported.
Late last month, Judge Williams issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump Administration from bringing new illegal aliens to Alligator Alcatraz and ordered the facility to be dismantled.
“The Court ENTERS a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting the State and Federal Defendants and their officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any person who is in active concert or participation with them from (1) installing any additional industrial-style lighting (described by witnesses as “Sunbelt” lighting); or doing any paving, filling, excavating, or fencing; or doing any other site expansion, including placing or erecting any additional buildings, tents, dormitories, or other residential or administrative facilities on the TNT site; and (2) bringing any additional persons onto the TNT site who were not already being detained at the site at the time of this Order going into effect,” the judge wrote in an 82-page order reviewed by The Gateway Pundit.
On Thursday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to keep Alligator Alcatraz open.
The three-judge panel included: Majority: Lagoa (Trump), Branch (Trump) – Dissent: Jordan (Obama).
BREAKING: 11th Cir panel votes, 2-1, to allow Trump & Florida officials to keep open the Alligator Alcatraz immigration jail. Majority: Lagoa (Trump)/Branch (Trump). Dissent: Jordan (Obama). Doc: https://t.co/TscTEcU5F1
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) September 4, 2025
Governor Ron DeSantis responded to the ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and blasted the Obama judge.
WATCH:
The mission continues at Alligator Alcatraz.
The media was wrong.
The leftist judge has been overturned.
Florida will keep leading the way. pic.twitter.com/Ik2fJnqXIP
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 4, 2025
The post BREAKING: 11th Circuit Court Blocks Obama Judge’s Order to Close Down Alligator Alcatraz – DeSantis Responds appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.