At the center of the dispute is the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT Site), a 17,000-acre parcel located within federally and state-protected Everglades territory. The site is more than 96% wetlands and surrounded by critical habitat for endangered species such as the Florida panther, Everglade snail kite, wood stork, and Florida bonneted bat.
Despite the project’s clear potential for widespread environmental impact, the federal and state defendants began retrofitting the site with no environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, no public comment period, and no interagency consultation. Construction equipment—including industrial lighting, generators, sewage and housing infrastructure—was reportedly deployed just days after Florida’s Division of Emergency Management took control of the site on June 23. The state aims to detain up to 5,000 noncitizens there by July 1, 2025.
According to the complaint, the development is occurring without the required NEPA review, even though federal law mandates such analysis for projects with significant environmental effects. The lawsuit emphasizes that the state of Florida lacks authority to carry out immigration detention on its own and is acting under the "direct control and supervision" of DHS and ICE, which triggers NEPA obligations.
The project sits within the footprint of the Western Everglades Restoration Plan (WERP)—a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) authorized by Congress in 2000. The area is integral to a multi-decade, $20+ billion restoration strategy jointly funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida. The lawsuit notes that development at this scale “threatens to undermine the very objectives that these federal and state investments were intended to achieve,” including water quality protection, habitat restoration, and climate resilience.
Miami-Dade County, which owns the property, is also under scrutiny. Although the county’s land-use regulations prohibit non-aviation development on the TNT site, it has not acted to block the detention facility. County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava raised concerns in a June 23 letter to the Division, requesting detailed environmental impact reports and calling for consultation with federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The suit also raises alarms about human and ecological safety risks. The facility lies in a flood-prone area and lacks an evacuation plan for detainees in the event of a hurricane. Additionally, plaintiffs intend to add claims under the Endangered Species Act once the required 60-day notice period expires, citing the failure of DHS and ICE to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the facility’s impact on listed species.
The site has documented geolocation evidence of endangered Florida panthers, and federal data confirm the presence of Florida bonneted bats and snail kites in the region. The presence of high-intensity lighting, heavy vehicle traffic, and soil disturbance during ongoing pre-construction threatens both wildlife movement and hydrological function.
The lawsuit may become a key test of how far federal and state agencies can push infrastructure into protected ecosystems without adhering to environmental laws. Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier have framed the project as a crucial piece of enforcement aligned with the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda.
The plaintiffs—represented by Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity—have requested an emergency injunction to stop further construction and demand full environmental review under NEPA before any further action is taken.
If the court grants the emergency motion, construction at the site could be halted immediately, forcing DHS and the State of Florida to comply with federal environmental statutes. For stakeholders in climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, and regulatory compliance, this case represents a high-stakes clash between federal policy and environmental stewardship.
