‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Facility Ruled Lawful by Appeals Court (1)

The US Immigration Detention Facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz” will remain open after a federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday that the agency didn’t need to conduct an environmental review before constructing the center.

The US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit struck down a lower court’s ruling that barred US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from moving detainees into the makeshift detention center in the middle of Florida everglades after environmental groups alleged the federal government violated the National Environmental Policy Act.

According to the opinion, construction of the facility wasn’t a “major federal action” or subject to “federal control,” ...