Following The Environmental Lawsuit Against Alligator Alcatraz

DESPITE AN ONGOING LAWSUIT AGAINST THE IMMIGRANT DETENTION FACILITY KNOWN AS ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ OPERATIONS AT THE EVERGLADES SITE CONTINUE. THAT DECISION WAS MADE LAST MONTH WHEN THE 11TH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS RULED THE FACILITY CAN STAY OPEN IN THE HEART OF THE BIG CYPRESS. WHILE THE LEGAL BATTLES WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAMPLES JOINS US NOW FOR THE LATEST UPDATES ON THEIR LAWSUIT AGAINST THE SITE. CAN YOU FIRST SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE? MS SAMPLES THE BACKGROUND OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND WHAT WHAT PROMPTED THE LAWSUIT AGAINST ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ >> SURE. SO LAST SUMMER IN JUNE OF 2025, A PROPOSAL WAS RULED OUT WITH ANY WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC TO BUILD AN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER IN THE HEART OF THE EVERGLADES AND BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE. THIS IS HALLOWED GROUND FOR FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES IS ACTUALLY THE REASON MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS FOUNDED FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES 1969 WAS TO PROTECT THIS VERY SAME LOCATION FROM DEVELOPMENT. BACK THEN IT WAS PLANS FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIRPORT. AND THEN LAST SUMMER, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF FLORIDA AND THE GOVERNOR, FLORIDA ROLLED OUT PLANS FOR A MASS IMMIGRANT DETENTION CENTER IN THE HEART OF BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE. SO FRIENDS OF THE EVERGLADES SPRUNG INTO ACTION WITH OUR ALLIES THAT CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AS WELL AS THE MICCOSUKEE TRIBE AND FILED A LAWSUIT UNDER THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT. THIS IS A BEDROCK ENVIRONMENTAL LAW THAT REQUIRES THE GOVERNMENT TO LOOK BEFORE IT LEAPS TO STUDY THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ITS ACTIONS TO CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES AND TO TAKE PUBLIC INPUT AND NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAPPENED BEFORE ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ WAS BUILT LAST SUMMER AND WE HAD A BIG SUCCESS IN COURT LAST SUMMER WHERE WE SCORED A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION THAT ORDERED TO WINDING DOWN OF ACTIVITY AT THE SITE THAT INJUNCTION WAS LATER PAUSE ON APPEAL AND THEN JUST RECENTLY IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, THE APPEALS COURT DID RULE THAT THAT INJUNCTION WILL NOT STAND. BUT OUR WHOLE CASE LIES AHEAD OF US. AND WE FILED A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS THAT ARE BEING VIOLATED AT THE SITE EVERY DAY THAT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ REMAINS OPEN. THE EVERGLADES ARE HARMED AND WE ARE DETERMINED TO STOP THAT HARM. >> CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC SPECIES THAT YOU'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS PRIME HABITAT FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHER. IN FACT, DURING OUR HEARINGS LAST SUMMER IN FEDERAL COURT OF FLORIDA PANTHER EXPERT TESTIFIED, BUT THE HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTING THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN TO THE SITE HAS REMOVED ABOUT 2000 ACRES OF FLORIDA PANTHER HABITAT. REMEMBER, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 200 FLORIDA PANTHERS LEFT IN THE WILD. SO EVERY ACRE OF HABITAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THIS SITE HAS DESTROYED 2000 ACRES FROM THAT'S A VITAL SPECIES WHOSE FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR SURVIVAL ARE BEING DISRUPTED UNHARMED BY THE OPERATIONS OF THIS FACILITY IS ALSO PRIME TERRITORY FOR THE FLORIDA BOND AND THAT ANOTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES AND THEN BE ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES CONCERNS. THERE ARE REALLY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT NEW ASPHALT THAT HAS BEEN LAID AT THE SITE WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. AT LEAST 20 ACRES OF NEW ASPHALT LATER, THE SITE SURROUNDED BY EVERGLADES WETLANDS. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T BUILD A PATIO IN YOUR BACKYARD IN FLORIDA WITHOUT GETTING THE PROPER PERMITTING. AND HERE WE HAVE OUR GOVERNMENT GOING ROGUE, BUILDING NEW ASPHALT IN THE EVERGLADES WITHOUT REVIEW. SINCE IT'S A CONCERN. AND AGAIN, WE'RE DETERMINED TO HALT THE HARMFUL ACTIVITY THERE. >> AND FINALLY, ONE IS THE NEXT STEP IN THE LEGAL PROCESS. >> YES, SO WE WILL RETURN TO FEDERAL COURT AT SOME POINT IN THE COMING WEEKS. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT WILL BE YET. AND WE HAVE FILED A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. WE ACTUALLY DID THAT LAST SUMMER AND UNDER OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. SO WE WILL BE BUILDING OUR CASE WHEN WE RETURN TO COURT. WE'RE HEADED BACK TO JUDGE KATHLEEN WILLIAMS COURTROOM, WHICH IS WHERE WE HAD OUR 4 DAYS OF HEARINGS LAST SUMMER. AND THERE IS EVEN MORE EVIDENCE NOW THAT WE'RE EAGER TO PRESENT, FOR INSTANCE, WE KNOW NOW THAT FEMA AWARDED A 608 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOR THE FACILITY HERE AND THAT EVIDENCE WAS NOT PRESENTED IN COURT LAST SUMMER. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN CONTROL OF THE SITE RELATES TO WHETHER THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THESE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS. AND WE BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE IS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY THEY DO AND THEY SHOULD. AND THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA WANT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY TO. >> THIS COULD TAKE YEARS TO WIND ITS WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM. COULD IT NOT? >> IT'S POSSIBLE. WE CERTAINLY HOPE FOR A SWIFTER OUTCOME BECAUSE EVERY DAY THAT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ REMAINS OPEN MORE HARM IS INFLICTED ON THE EVERGLADES. SO WE'LL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO EXPEDITE THIS CASE TO ENSURE THAT THE HARM STOPS AND THAT THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AN ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ AND THE EVERGLADES CAN BE RESTORED IN A MANNER THAT IS TRANSPARENT. AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND GIVING US THE LATEST UPDATE ON WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR LITIGATION AGAINST THE STATE AND FEDERER. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. THANKS.