Florida officials failed to disclose that they had applied for federal reimbursement for an immigration detention center in the Everglades dubbed " Alligator Alcatraz ," leading to a false impression before an appellate court panel that put on hold a judge's order to wind down operations at the facility, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Lawsuit alleges violations in environmental review process

The public records lawsuit was filed in state court in Tallahassee by the Friends of the Everglades , which along with another environmental group and the Miccosukee Tribe, sued federal and state agencies, alleging they didn't follow federal law requiring an environmental review for the detention center in the middle of sensitive wetlands.

Friends of Everglades Lawsuit - 10-14-25 by

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