The decision comes amid a six-month legal battle between the state and the environmental group over whether the Everglades center is in compliance with environmental laws. “The Division shall by no later than February 12, 2026, fully and completely comply with Plaintiff Friends of the Everglades public records requests … with all responsive public records through the date of this order,” the ruling reads. A human rights organization alleged in December that Alligator Alcatraz was torturing detainees, although the state denied wrongdoing. Friends of the Everglades sued in federal court just days after Florida announced construction at the site. In October, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that Florida would be awarded $608.4 million in a federal grant award.