Florida Judge Halts Land Transfer for Planned Trump Presidential Library in Miami
A court freezes a $67 million land deal amid allegations that Miami Dade College officials violated transparency laws in approving the Trump Library site.
A judge in Florida has issued a temporary order freezing the transfer of ownership of a plot of land in downtown Miami that had been designated for the construction of former President Donald Trump’s presidential library. The decision follows a lawsuit accusing officials at a public college of violating government transparency laws.
Judge Mavel Ruiz of the Miami-Dade Circuit Court ordered the suspension after activist Marvin Dunn filed a complaint against the Board of Trustees of Miami Dade College, alleging that it failed to provide sufficient public notice before voting on September 23 to transfer the land to the state.
“This decision is not an easy one, and it’s not based on politics,” Judge Ruiz said during her ruling. “It’s about the public’s right to know what issues are being presented to its public institutions.”
Downtown Miami Land for Trump Library Faces Legal Freeze Amid Public Transparency Concerns
The land, about three acres in a prime downtown Miami location, is valued at more than $67 million, according to the Associated Press. Local reports indicate that the proposed plan includes a hotel alongside the Trump Presidential Library.
The college’s board had voted to transfer the land to a fund managed by the state government under the supervision of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and his cabinet, before it was to be transferred again to a foundation established to oversee the Trump Library project — effectively giving Trump’s family control over it.
Attorney Richard Brodsky, representing the plaintiff, said after the ruling: “We are pleased that the court affirmed the public’s right to receive clear notice about government meetings, especially when the decisions are of such extraordinary importance.”
Temporary Court Freeze on Trump Library Land Sparks Miami Protests
In response, college attorney Jesus Suarez defended the legality of the process, stating that the institution “complied with all legal requirements” and that “Florida law does not require detailed advance disclosure of meeting topics.”
The court order, issued Tuesday, only temporarily halts the land transfer pending a later hearing to determine whether the board indeed violated Florida’s public meetings law.
Meanwhile, protests continued in Miami against the project. One demonstrator said: “Put the library in Mar-a-Lago,” referring to Trump’s well-known resort in Palm Beach.
