On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Florida Phoenix reported that a federal judge stepped down from a lawsuit aimed at stopping a state-run immigrant detention center in the Everglades.
U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez, appointed by George W. Bush, recused himself from the case filed by environmental groups, including Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity.
The groups claim the detention center’s construction at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport violates federal law by lacking an environmental impact analysis and public input.
Martinez cited a federal statute requiring judges to disqualify themselves under specific circumstances but provided no further details.
The case has been reassigned to U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee.
Source: Florida Phoenix
