President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem walk through a medical facility section as they tour a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on July 1, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the first complaint on behalf of several detained migrants, saw a small setback Monday night when Judge Rodolfo Ruiz said its claims should have been brought in the Middle District of Florida rather than in the Southern District.
Ruiz, a Trump appointee, said the case must be transferred to that district, finding that the alleged violations occurred at the facility, which is located in Collier County, about 50 miles from Miami.
The ACLU, along with other groups, argued in their lawsuit that some detainees were not given the ability to communicate confidentially with an attorney and that up until recently, the Trump administration had not designated any immigration court as having jurisdiction over the detained migrants, of which there were about 700.
SELF-DEPORT OR END UP IN 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,' NOEM WARNS MIGRANTS DURING TRUMP VISIT
Protesters gather to demand the closure of the immigrant detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz" at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 22, 2025. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
"Here are the facts: Alligator Alcatraz does meet federal detention standards," DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said. "All detainee facilities are clean. Any allegations of inhumane conditions are FALSE. When will the media stop peddling hoaxes about illegal alien detention centers and start focusing on American victims of illegal alien crime?"
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has said the facility is designed to be temporary and a means of alleviating the burden on other detention centers. DeSantis has said he hopes Alligator Alcatraz, which was constructed on an airport, will be a "force multiplier" for Trump's aggressive deportation agenda.
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In a separate case, Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, is considering whether Alligator Alcatraz should be halted for violating the National Environmental Policy Act.
Williams placed a 14-day hold on all construction of the facility, but that order is set to expire Aug. 21. The judge vowed to issue another order by that date, saying the temporary harm to the government caused by pausing construction was not as great as the harm that would be caused if she found a lack of compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lawsuits-threaten-upend-alligator-alcatraz-operations