A judge has ordered the halt of construction of a Florida detention facility Donald Trump had nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz” and where he claimed would be held some of the most “menacing” and “vicious” people on the planet.

The facility, operated by the state and with its costs reimbursed by the federal government, opened two months ago with the intention of housing undocumented migrants rounded up as part of the president’s immigration crackdown.

It is located in the Florida Everglades, something Mr Trump said made it the ideal place to hold the detainees .

Yet, its location near Big Cypress National Preserve was something seized on by environmental activists who filed a lawsuit arguing the site threatens the environmentally sensitive wetlands. They are home to many protected plant

See Full Page