RIVERSIDE — The longtime operator of a poverty-stricken mobile home park south of Coachella was given the boot on Thursday by a federal judge who said the man had failed to implement changes the court ordered months ago.

 “The court is at the end of the line,” said U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson to Harvey Duro, whose Desert Mobile Home Park, plagued with health and safety problems, is at risk of permanent closure, potentially leaving thousands of migrant workers without a a place to live.

The park, popularly called Duroville, has frequently been cited for health violations such as open sewage, faulty wiring and fire dangers. The 40-acre property, part of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Reservation, is home to between 3,000 and 5,000 migrant workers and their families.

“The court is going to remove Harvey Duro from any involvement with the mobile home park's operation, or control of the park,” Larson said. “We need to take (the facility) in a different direction.”

Larson said Duro had failed to honor conditions the court laid out in April for keeping the facility open, including borrowing money to pay for engineering studies on upgrading the park's infrastructure, and hiring contractors to bring roads and fire suppression systems into compliance with state and county regulations.

Duro and his attorney, Scott Zundel, left the courthouse without making a statement.

The judge said he noticed “improvements in the appearance of the park” during an unannounced visit last month.

“But the primary structural problems” are still there, the judge said. “I remain hopeful about what can be done.”