No veto on controversial election change. Miami mayor already signed it into law
Suarez does not have a vote on the City Commission, nor is he required to sign commission legislation, which automatically goes into effect within 10 days if it's not signed or vetoed by the mayor.
But a copy of the legislation obtained by the Miami Herald shows that Suarez signed the document on June 26 — the same day as the City Commission meeting.
Suarez did not respond to questions asking why he opted to sign the legislation. But his decision to do so tracks with Miami Herald reporting that the mayor had been quietly lobbying behind the scenes in favor of the legislation, which was sponsored by Commissioner Damian Pardo.
Pardo has argued that the change is a reform measure and that by moving the city to even-year elections, voter turnout will increase drastically while also decreasing election costs. But a side effect of the change is that it gives city commissioners and the mayor — who is termed out at the end of the year — an extra year in office.
Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Pardo adversary who voted against the election date change, alleged that Suarez's involvement went beyond simply lobbying for Pardo's legislation.
'There's been a tremendous amount of backroom dealing on this whole thing, led by the mayor of the city,' Carollo said. 'It's not just that he was backing it, it was his idea originally — he got Pardo to play lapdog … to present the ordinance for him.'
Pardo has denied that, saying the idea originated with him.
Moving the election without voter approval has been a source of controversy in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier.
'The citizens of Miami deserve and are entitled to the right to make this decision, directly,' Uthmeier said in a June 25 letter to the city. 'Home to thousands of patriotic Cuban Americans who know better than most about regimes that cavalierly delay elections and prolong their terms in power, the City of Miami owes to its citizens what the law requires.'
Uthmeier concluded his letter with a warning.
'If you nevertheless move forward with the proposed ordinance,' he wrote, 'my office reserves the right to consider taking all available actions to prevent this violation of law from occurring.'
The state has not yet announced any formal action against the city.
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Outrage followed Miami's vote to move election. Now some are trying to reverse it
Absurdity. A brazen power grab. Disenfranchisement. A slap in the face to democracy. The most self-serving non-solution. An absolute disgrace. Those are some of the things being said about the decision Miami city commissioners made last week to cancel the upcoming November election, where voters would have chosen a new mayor and two commissioners. The change was made to move the city's elections to even years, aligning it with the federal election cycle, starting in November 2026. Those criticisms are much different from how the item's sponsor, Commissioner Damian Pardo, explained it: a legal and applicable reform. While seemingly fewer, supporters of the change have called it common sense and a victory for future voter turnout. Just hours after the City Commission voted 3-2 to approve the controversial ordinance, Mayor Francis Suarez signed the measure into law, effectively extending his — and the commissioners' — terms in office for one more year. Outrage, both from residents and candidates who planned to run this November, quickly followed. As news spread across social media, the commission's vote garnered national attention, with some connecting the local issue to larger concerns about democratic processes and institutions. As debate and interest intensified online, some political leaders became the targets of scorn while others enjoyed a sudden, unexpected swell of support. Several mayoral hopefuls are already turning their campaigns into crusades to restore the November election. One of those candidates, Emilio González, has already sued, calling the commission's decision 'an outrageous abuse of power,' and another has threatened legal action. Voters have begun receiving surveys asking if they would support a recall of Pardo. And some are looking toward a possible intervention by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier, who both admonished the city against moving the election without first getting voter input through a ballot question. Activist and mayoral hopeful Michael Hepburn told the Miami Herald he's hoping to 'fight back' with other candidates, including by attempting a recall of Pardo. Hepburn said that, like González, he plans to sue the city, alongside residents from several districts. As news broke Friday that the mayor had already signed the election ordinance, Hepburn said he wasn't surprised. 'Mayor Francis Suarez has been a self-serving politician in this city for years, and this is just another example of him using his public office to benefit himself,' Hepburn argued. Suarez did not respond to reporters' attempts to reach him for comment. Over the last week, González said his campaign has received a sudden boost in support and attention. He shared images with the Herald showing his campaign's average website traffic recently surged by over 10,000%. 'People are energized; folks who in the past couldn't care less, now they care,' González said. 'People usually ask about why you're running — now everyone knows why I'm running.' In the last week, Miami's election change jumped to the fore of conversations in online forums like Reddit. The social media pages and posts of elected officials were also inundated with debate over the ordinance. 'If it's so popular then why didn't you allow your constituents to vote on it?' read one comment under a video Pardo posted to Instagram addressing objections to the legislation. 'You disappointed me today more than ever,' someone else wrote below a post from Commissioner Christine King, who backed the measure. While some commenters supported the change, saying it would increase voter participation, others connected the commission's vote to concerns expressed by last month's 'No Kings' protests, responding with references to 1776 and remarks like 'America, we don't do kings.' 'I'm seeing many on social media comparing this to Trump's potential effort to violate term limits,' said Ken Russell, one of the mayoral candidates. A former city commissioner, Russell said he believes in increasing voter turnout by moving to even-year elections — but only if voters approve of doing so in a ballot referendum. Many younger voters feel similarly, said Luna Plaza, a student at the University of Miami. 'We want higher turnout, especially for youth voters — but this was undemocratic,' said Plaza, an activist involved with several advocacy groups. 'They stole a year of political participation from an entire cohort of young people. Three commissioners decided that they knew better than the people.' James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, echoed those remarks: 'Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with moving the election date, it should be decided by the voters.' González is banking on his lawsuit ending with the courts voiding the ordinance and forcing the city to reinstate a November 2025 election. 'I know we'll win big, and the city of Miami will have egg on its face,' González said. Through a spokesperson, Pardo said he was unable to comment on issues tied to current litigation involving the city, which moved swiftly to dismiss González's lawsuit. In a motion filed this week, the city argued that state law allows cities to align local elections with statewide contests, regardless of whether that extends the terms of current officials. The city argued such changes can be enacted by ordinance and without requiring a public vote. State officials have disagreed. 'It is wrong for incumbent politicians to cancel elections and unilaterally extend their terms in office,' DeSantis said in a June 26 social media post, threatening a 'swift legal response' if the change was enacted. Uthmeier, the state's attorney general, previously issued an opinion that changing the election's date without voter approval violates the state constitution and county charter. Since the City Commission's vote, neither DeSantis nor Uthmeier appears to have publicly commented on the decision, and neither responded to inquiries from the Herald. Commissioner Joe Carollo, who was joined by Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela in voting against the change, said he expected a judge would rule against the city. 'The courts will agree that this decision can't stand,' Carollo said. Russell, a Democrat, said he found himself in the odd position of supporting Republican state officials' interpretation of the law. 'It's a real Twilight Zone to find myself agreeing with Governor DeSantis and the attorney general,' said Russell, 'but in this case, I do.'
Newsweek
2 days ago
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Could Children Be Detained At 'Alligator Alcatraz'? What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new detention facility being opened in Florida, named Alligator Alcatraz, could hold both adults and minors, according to a draft operational plan obtained by the local news outlet, the Miami Herald. The temporary detention center, situated at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, received federal approval last week to hold thousands of undocumented immigrants. Newsweek has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via email and phoned the Florida Division of Emergency Management for comment. Why It Matters The remote facility is projected to cost Florida around $450 million each year to operate, according to the Department for Homeland Security (DHS). Critics have voiced concern over the center's remote location deep in the Everglades, as well as the center's swift implementation—warning about what these factors mean for the treatment of migrants, transparency, and due process. However, proponents see the project as a cost-effective solution to manage increased immigration enforcement as the Trump administration carries out what it calls the largest mass deportation effort in United States history. Workers install a sign reading "Alligator Alcatraz" at the entrance to a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida. Workers install a sign reading "Alligator Alcatraz" at the entrance to a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Ochopee, Florida. Rebecca Blackwell/AP What To Know While not explicitly stating that minors may be housed in the facility, the report allegedly says that "minors shall be separated from unrelated adults at all times during transport and seated in an area near officers and under close supervision" when transported "by land," the Miami Herald reported. Per the outlet, the report also says, "snacks and water shall be given to minors, pregnant females, and as necessary for detainees with medical conditions" while being transported. Florida lawmakers have voiced their concern over the possibility, and five were recently denied entry into the facility—state Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, along with Representatives Anna V. Eskamani, Angie Nixon and Michele Rayner. Following the incident on Tuesday, the lawmakers said in a statement: "This is a blatant abuse of power and an attempt to conceal human rights violations from the public eye. If the facility is unsafe for elected officials to enter, then how can it possibly be safe for those being detained inside?" President Donald Trump and Republican officials had previously visited the site without an issue. "I find it hard to believe they have safety concerns for us but no safety concerns for the POTUS when he was here just 2 days ago," Senator Smith said. The DHS told Newsweek that the temporary facility will be up and running in a matter of days with 500 to 1,000 beds, with a plan to expand capacity in 500-bed increments. By early July, the facility is expected to have 5,000 beds. The initial structures will be soft-sided temporary units, with the possibility of more permanent buildings constructed later. To house detainees at the facility, Florida will use old Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers that were previously used during disaster responses—which the DHS said was a "very low-cost option." The facility will be managed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and Florida's declaration of a state of emergency on immigration has allowed the state to mobilize quickly, and National Guard personnel will also assist with detention operations. What People Are Saying Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, on X: "Alligator Alcatraz is a milestone in our effort to help the Trump Administration fulfill its mandate to the American people and restore our nation's sovereignty." The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement: "Alligator Alcatraz will give us the space and beds needed to detain the WORST OF THE WORST safely. This facility will be a blueprint for detention facilities across the country." State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith wrote on X: "Legislators have the statutory authority to make unannounced visits to state-run facilities, but the DeSantis regime is REFUSING us entry into 'Alligator Alcatraz'." What Happens Next Individuals arrested by Florida law enforcement under the federal 287(g) program will be detained at Alligator Alcatraz, and ICE will have the authority to transfer detainees to Florida's custody under the same program.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
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No veto on controversial election change. Miami mayor already signed it into law
Within hours of the Miami City Commission approving a controversial measure to postpone the upcoming November election to 2026 in order to move the city to even-year elections, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez had already signed the legislation into law. Suarez does not have a vote on the City Commission, nor is he required to sign commission legislation, which automatically goes into effect within 10 days if it's not signed or vetoed by the mayor. But a copy of the legislation obtained by the Miami Herald shows that Suarez signed the document on June 26 — the same day as the City Commission meeting. Suarez did not respond to questions asking why he opted to sign the legislation. But his decision to do so tracks with Miami Herald reporting that the mayor had been quietly lobbying behind the scenes in favor of the legislation, which was sponsored by Commissioner Damian Pardo. Pardo has argued that the change is a reform measure and that by moving the city to even-year elections, voter turnout will increase drastically while also decreasing election costs. But a side effect of the change is that it gives city commissioners and the mayor — who is termed out at the end of the year — an extra year in office. Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Pardo adversary who voted against the election date change, alleged that Suarez's involvement went beyond simply lobbying for Pardo's legislation. 'There's been a tremendous amount of backroom dealing on this whole thing, led by the mayor of the city,' Carollo said. 'It's not just that he was backing it, it was his idea originally — he got Pardo to play lapdog … to present the ordinance for him.' Pardo has denied that, saying the idea originated with him. Moving the election without voter approval has been a source of controversy in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier. 'The citizens of Miami deserve and are entitled to the right to make this decision, directly,' Uthmeier said in a June 25 letter to the city. 'Home to thousands of patriotic Cuban Americans who know better than most about regimes that cavalierly delay elections and prolong their terms in power, the City of Miami owes to its citizens what the law requires.' Uthmeier concluded his letter with a warning. 'If you nevertheless move forward with the proposed ordinance,' he wrote, 'my office reserves the right to consider taking all available actions to prevent this violation of law from occurring.' The state has not yet announced any formal action against the city.
