The facility will continue to function as a detention center for migrants who have been deprived of their freedom by the US immigration authority ICE. But no construction work may be done on the newly opened facility, the judge decided.
Environmental groups and the Miccosukee people, who live in the area, have asked the judge to order a temporary ban while the court process continues. The groups and the indigenous people claim in a lawsuit that the project threatens sensitive wetlands that are a habitat for many plants and animals, and that the construction spoils restoration work worth billions of kronor that has been done for the environment.
Another lawsuit regarding the swamp detention center is being heard in court on August 18. According to human rights organizations, the facility violates the constitutional rights of the detainees.
The detention center for illegal migrants is located on an abandoned airfield about seven miles from Miami. The area is located in the Big Cypress national forest and borders the Everglades national park. It is known for its alligators, snakes and rich birdlife.
