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A federal lawsuit that temporarily blocked an immigration detention facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades was halted by an appellate court Wednesday because of the government shutdown.
Earlier this month, lawyers for the US government asked the US Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to stay proceedings in the case because of funding concerns. Justice Departmentsimultaneously Department of Homeland Security which is a defendant, was terminated due to the government shutdown.
He requested a stay until the appropriations are restored Congress,
The appellate court granted the request on Wednesday. While the facility was built and operated by the state of Florida and its private contractors, federal officials have approved reimbursing the state $608 million.
Lawyers for environmental groups, which had sued the federal and state governments over environmental concerns about the facility, said the administration of Pres. donald trump Hundreds of cases were being prosecuted across the country during the lockdown.
“Apparently, the government has enough money and manpower to operate a detention center in the middle of the Everglades to detain foreign-born workers, but not enough to file a brief in court justifying its conduct, which the trial court has ruled unlawful,” said Paul Schwepp, one of the lawyers.
Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, along with the Miccosukee Tribe, sued federal and state agencies this summer, alleging they did not follow federal law requiring environmental review for the detention center in the middle of sensitive wetlands.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams agreed and ordered in August that the facility be required to cease operations within two months. However, that injunction was blocked in early September when an appellate court panel atlanta A stay was issued pending the outcome of the appeal, allowing the facility to remain open for the time being.
An initial appellate brief from the federal government was scheduled to be filed Friday.
Two other lawsuits challenging actions at the Everglades detention center are ongoing in federal court in Florida.
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