Conservation groups plan to sue US agencies over 'Alligator Alcatraz' violations

Conservation groups are to file a legal complaint against government agencies alleging the destructive effects of "Alligator Alcatraz."

In a press release on Friday, Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity said they filed a notice of intent to sue and detailed federal and state failures to protect wetlands, endangered wildlife, and ecological resources. The legal violations listed were outlined in their June 27 lawsuit.

The groups stated how they believe the US Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and FEMA have unlawfully bypassed the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act protections in the Big Cypress National Preserve.

The agencies are already in court for violating the National Environmental Policy Act and have 60 days to fix the legal violations before the groups sue them for the additional violations.

“This mass detention center was ramrodded into the middle of our country’s oldest national preserve with no public input, no environmental analysis — and no regard for the billions of dollars invested in Everglades restoration,” said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades. “Our government has gone rogue by ignoring cherished laws that protect our nation’s water, wildlife and national parks.”

The immigration detention center, most commonly known as "Alligator Alcatraz," was quickly built and is surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve, a home to dozens of endangered and threatened species such as the Florida panthers.

The facility is considered to be a temporary fixture.