A federal judge ordered Florida to halt expansion and begin dismantling parts of "Alligator Alcatraz," prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration to quickly appeal the ruling.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams' injunction formalized a temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago as witnesses continued to testify in a multiday hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case.

Nearly two months after the hasty and controversial birth of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a federal judge has slammed the brakes on the operation, ruling that no more detainees can be housed at the remote migrant detention camp deep in the marshy wetlands of the Everglades.