ORLANDO, Fla. — An immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed “ Alligator Alcatraz ” must keep moving toward shutting down operations by late October, a judge has ruled, even as the state and federal governments fight that decision.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams late Wednesday denied requests to pause her order to wind down operations at the facility, which has been plagued by reports of unsanitary conditions and detainees being cut off from the legal system.

The facility was already being emptied of detainees, according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press on Wednesday. The executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie , said on Aug. 22 “we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within

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