End of Alligator Alcatraz Could be in Sight

CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIALS SAY HURRICANE SEASON IS THE REASON THEY EMPTIED THE CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER KNOWN AS ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS DETAINEES HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO OTHER FACILITIES, BUT THEY DO NOT SAY WHERE OR HOW MANY DETAINEES WERE TAKEN. THEY ALSO DID NOT CLARIFY IF THE REMOVAL IS PERMANENT OPPONENTS OF THE FACILITY SAY THEY ARE RELIEVED THAT DETAINEES ARE REMOVED AND THEY WILL CONTINUE THEIR LEGAL FIGHT. CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY DIRECTOR AND SENIOR ATTORNEY, AT LEAST BENNETT JOINS US NOW WITH MORE ON THE LEGAL EFFORT. SOLIS, THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. >> IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, JENNIFER. >> FIRST, WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE NEWS THAT DETAINEES HAVE ALL BEEN MOVED OUT OF THE FACILITY IN PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE SEASON. ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS. >> YEAH, I WOULD SAY I HAVE 2 REACTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS THAT IF IT IS INDEED TRUE THAT IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN MOVED OUT OF THIS HORRIFYING FACILITY THAT IS AND IMPORTANT MILESTONE AND SHOULD BE CELEBRATED. MY SECOND REACTION WAS TO TAKE ALL OF THAT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT BECAUSE THE TRUMP AND DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION'S HELD PEOPLE IN THAT FACILITY THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF HURRICANE SEASON LAST YEAR, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND SADLY, WE'RE NOT NAVIGATING A WORLD WHERE THE GOVERNMENT SAYS WHAT IT MEANS AND DOES WHAT IT SAYS. AND SO WITHOUT THAT ASSURANCE THAT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ WILL BE CLOSED FOR GOOD AND BIG CYPRESS WILL BE FULLY RESTORED. WE'RE READY TO PUSH FORWARD WITH OUR CASE. >> DID YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW OR HAVE YOU HEARD WERE ANY OF THE DETAINEES HAVE GONE? >> WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF DETAILS ON THAT WE DO HAVE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN MONITORING THE SITE. WE HAVE SEEN BUSES COME AND GO AS WELL AS AIRPLANES. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FACILITIES IN MIAMI AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE. SO I THINK WE CAN ASSUME THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING. BUT WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE AT THIS TIME. >> AND IN THE MEANTIME, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT LEGAL CHALLENGES YOU ARE STILL CURRENTLY PURSUING IT AND WHAT THEIR STATUS IS. >> SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CASE PENDING OVER VIOLATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, WHICH IS A COMMON SENSE LAW THAT REQUIRES THE GOVERNMENT TO TRANSPARENTLY SHARE WHAT IT IS THAT IT'S DOING AND WHAT THEY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF, THAT WOULD BE. AND THEN ALSO TO THINK ABOUT ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD AVOID HARMS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND WOULD MINIMIZE AND MITIGATE ANY HARMS THAT MIGHT OCCUR. AND TO THIS DAY, NONE OF THAT REVIEW HAS OCCURRED FOR THE SITE. SO THAT'S A CLAIM THAT IS STILL ALIVE. AND WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. WE ALSO INTEND AS WE GO BACK TO THE DISTRICT COURT TO RAISE ADDITIONAL CLAIMS UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. AND WE'RE ALSO PURSUING A CASE FOR CLEAN AIR ACT VIOLATIONS. >> CAN YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE HARMS THAT YOU ARE ALLEGING HAVE OCCURRED AT THE FACILITY AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE IT WAS FIRST BUILT LAST SUMMER. >> YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS WAS A VERY LITTLE USE TO TRAINING AIRSTRIP BEFORE IT BECAME THE SITE OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ AND WE'VE PRESENTED EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE AND COURT AND WE CONTINUE TO GATHER EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT THIS CRUEL FACILITY HAS DONE IMMENSE DAMAGE TO A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE. IT'S COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY BIG CYPRESS, NATIONAL PRESERVE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR FIRST NATIONAL PRESERVES EVER DESIGNATED HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. VIRTUALLY OVERNIGHT, WE SAW THIS MINIMALLY USE RUNWAY BECOME MASS DETENTION CENTER FOR THOUSANDS OF STAFF. ANDY SAY KNEES. WE SAW DE SER DIESEL GENERATORS RUNNING AROUND THE CLOCK AND SPEWING AIR POLLUTION INTO BIG CYPRESS AND THE SURROUNDING EVERGLADES. THE NUMBER OF THESE GENERATORS HAVE BEEN OPERATING. 24 7 LIGHTING, WHICH CAN BE SEEN FROM 15 TO 30 MILES AWAY AND WHICH DEGRADES THE NIGHT SKY FOR FOLKS WHO COME TO STARGAZE BUT ALSO FOR REALLY VULNERABLE SPECIES LIKE THE FLORIDA PANTHER AND THE FLORIDA BONDED BAT WHO ARE ENDANGERED AND REQUIRE VERY DARK NIGHT. TIME TO TO HUNT AND FORAGE. >> AND WHAT KIND OF RESTITUTION ARE YOU SEEKING FROM THE COURTS? >> RIGHT. SO THE FIRST THING WOULD BE TO HAVE THAT ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS HAVE BEEN. WE HAVE A GOOD SENSE FROM THE MONITORING WE'VE DONE, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH THIS PROJECT. SO FIRST WE GET THAT ANALYSIS AND THEN THAT INFORMS HOW WE RESTORE THE SITE BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE AND TO ENSURE THAT BIG CYPRESS CAN LIVE ON AS A HEALTHY, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM. AND BEYOND THAT, UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, THERE ARE ALSO CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS THAT MEAN THAT THE FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE TO UNDERTAKE CERTAIN MINIMIZATION MITIGATION MEASURES THAT ARE MEANT TO ENSURE THAT THEIR ACTIONS DON'T JEOPARDIZE THE SPECIES EXISTENCE OR DESTROY REALLY IMPORTANT HABITAT. ALL OF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH AND WE FILED THESE CASES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLIED. BUT >> AND WHAT LEGACY DO YOU BELIEVE THIS FACILITY HAS LEFT ON THE EVERGLADES AND WILL BE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS. >> YEAH, I THINK PEOPLE REMEMBER ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ FOR THE MORAL AND BYRON MENTAL AND FINANCIAL DISASTER THAT IT IS. AND I THINK THAT THE TRUMP AND DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION IS RECOGNIZE THAT AND A BEER APPEAR TO BE QUIETLY DISTASTE AND DISTANCING THEMSELVES FROM THIS, YOU KNOW, POINTING TO HURRICANE SEASON AND TRYING TO QUIETLY WALK AWAY FROM THIS PART OF THE REASON THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS CASE IS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT'S ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY. BUT IF IT HELPS TO PUSH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY ON ANY OTHER FRONT, THEN WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE HERE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, ELISE BENNETT, FOR JOINING US TODAY WITH THE VERY LATEST