TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A federal appeals court rejected a motion from environmental groups Tuesday to continue with district court proceedings on a case involving the Florida Everglades immigration detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz.
Judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a split decision that a blanket stay on legal proceedings will remain in place until an ongoing appeal is resolved. The decision means plaintiffs will not be able to proceed with any legal arguments unrelated to National Environmental Policy Act concerns in the original district case.
Judge Barbara Lagoa, a Trump appointee who previously served on the Florida Supreme Court, wrote in the majority opinion that the arguments raised by environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe in their motion were previously available but “not pressed.”
“Because Plaintiffs-Appellees’ arguments are improperly raised for the first time in their motion, we will not consider them now,” Lagoa wrote.
