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Ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected visit to the controversial Alligator Alcatraz, environmental advocates are still pushing forward on a lawsuit to prevent it from happening.
The group hopes Trump will realize it’s not an appropriate use of the Everglades.
Elise Bennett is a senior attorney at The Center for Biological Diversity.
The group, along with Friends of the Everglades, has filed a lawsuit to prevent the massive detention center in the Everglades.
“What I would hope would be obvious to the president is that this is an incredibly backwards idea for a place that is, I think the pride of Florida, certainly the pride of the United States, and really gives us great international significance,” Bennett told WMNF.
The group is asking the court to put a pause on activity at the site.
“What we’ve seen here is a frenzied process that hasn’t included any of that thoughtful consideration, and certainly no opportunity for the public to understand and provide input on the impacts,” Bennett said.
The lawsuit alleges that the proposal hasn’t undergone an environmental review as required under federal law, and that the public has had no opportunity to comment.
The project has reached national spotlight and drawn public outcry, with hundreds of protestors gathering outside the location to demonstrate on Saturday.
A representative for Governor Ron DeSantis told the Associated Press that it will have ‘no impact on the surrounding environment.’
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