Last week, US District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a 14-day halt on additional construction at the site while witnesses testified at a hearing, part of a lawsuit seeking to halt operations and further construction.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the location in the rugged and remote Everglades was meant as a deterrent against escape, much like the island prison in California that Republicans named it after. The detention center has an estimated annual cost of $450 million, according to a public database.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who has objected to the facility and asked for access to "monitor" it, said she "welcome (d) the court’s decision to halt construction at Alligator Alcatraz — an overdue and necessary step."