3 days ago
‘Alligator Alcatraz' sounds more like ‘Gator Gulag' for migrants
Prison swamp
I'd like to propose a better name for the immigrant detention facility some are calling 'Alligator Alcatraz.'
'Gator Gulag' has a much better ring to it.
Tim Turman,
Cutler Bay
Camp ire
Amazing how one governmental decision — the creation of a migrant detention center in the Everglades, being billed as 'Alligator Alcatraz' — can anger so many different constituencies.
The decision angers environmentalists, as it destroys our precious Everglades; it angers the Miccosukee tribe, as it establishes a prison smack in the middle of their tribal lands; it angers everyone who recognizes the value of hard-working, law-abiding immigrants and abhors the unlawful treatment they are receiving; finally, it angers every taxpayer who recognizes this wastefulness, as it enriches private prison companies and the politicians they fund.
Ana Alejandre Ciereszko,
Miami
Bahamians snubbed?
Re: the June 24 editorial, 'City that immigrants built just turned its back on them.' Perhaps the Miami Herald Editorial Board overlooked that Bahamians were among the first West Indians to immigrate to the mainland U.S. in the late 19th century. Many worked in Florida's agriculture or labored in fishing, sponging and turtling in the Keys.
Bahamian enclaves developed in areas such as Lemon City, Coconut Grove and Cutler. In 1896, foreign-born Blacks comprised 40 percent of Miami's Black population. Bahamians in Florida created their own institutions, most notably Episcopal churches. Black Bahamians, however, faced state-enforced racism, could not vote, were persecuted by epithets in the local press and were not allowed to stay in the hotels that employed them.
In 1921, the Ku Klux Klan staged a large rally in Miami attacking Bahamian immigrants. My grandparents were among these early settlers.
The editorial board's historical snub is suspect in light of statewide and nationwide efforts to rewrite or completely eliminate the presence, historical imprints and contributions of Black Americans.
Rosa Osborne,
Pembroke Pines
No more war
Re: the June 25 op-ed, 'Rubio is America's best hope in the Iran conflict.' Excellent commentary by Mary Anna Mancuso on the need to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, but at the same time avoiding a never-ending war in the Middle East or regime change.
Marilin Rodon,
Coral Gables
A matter of trust
I recently received two official notices — my motor vehicle registration renewal and my updated voter information card. What should have been routine communications from Miami-Dade County felt off. Neither featured the traditional county logo.
Instead, each was re-branded with a personalized seal prominently displaying the name of the elected official — the tax collector and the supervisor of elections (whose name now arches over the word 'VOTE' in a design that resembles a campaign sticker).
This isn't just a design choice — it's about power optics. When an elected official's name dominates official documents, it shifts public perception, making these offices feel less like trusted institutions and more like self-branded entities. That's especially problematic when the offices in question administer elections and tax collection — two areas where public trust is essential.
By replacing the county seal with individualized branding, these new officials are blurring the lines between public service and political self-promotion and gives the impression they operate outside the bounds of government.
At a time when faith in government is already fragile, this kind of self-serving design undermines trust.
Cris Ascunce,
Miami Shores
A rare politician
I don't live in New York City, never spent much time there and don't usually follow its local elections. However, when I heard about Zoran Mamdani's campaign for mayor, something stood out. He wasn't just another politician with carefully rehearsed talking points.
He was honest — and that's rare.
I didn't support Mamdani because of his Muslim identity. I supported him because he focused on what actually matters: working people trying to afford rent, get to work and live with dignity.
He talked about the root causes of inequality and had the courage to challenge the special interests that dominate American politics.
What struck me most was that he didn't hide who he was — his faith, his background. He didn't campaign on it, either. He spoke to voters as people, not demographics. That kind of leadership is needed well beyond New York.
In South Florida, we're dealing with many of the same issues: unaffordable housing, failing infrastructure and political disconnection.
Mamdani's win offers a glimpse of what's possible when a candidate leads with principles instead of pandering His campaign is a sign not just of change in one city, but of a shift that could ripple across the country.
If we pay attention, we might realize this wasn't just his victory. It could be a turning point for all of us.
Syed Ali Rahman,
Davie
Critical view
Since Zohran Mamdani's landslide victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor this week, the Miami Herald has published several pieces by writers who have expressed varying shades of disgust for Mamdani's stance on whether Israel has 'the right to exist as a Jewish State.' To reiterate, Mamdani has said he believes that Israel, like all other nations, has a right to exist as a state with equal rights for all.
That commentators find equal rights for all to be incompatible with the Israeli state, as they see and imagine it, says more about their own internalized approval for supremacist ideology — valuing one people over others — than anything else.
To see elected officials, judges and political commentators parrot this line uncritically, especially in light of our country's own dark past with Jim Crow laws, is truly frightening — not the electoral success of a rising progressive Muslim immigrant who believes in this nation's ideals.
Katherine Shehadeh,
Coral Gables
Highway robbery
On June 17, media outlets across this state reported in detail the contents of Florida's newly passed $115.1 billion state budget. Coverage rightly highlighted numerous elements — from tax cuts and voucher expansions to emergency reserve allocations and job eliminations. No mention, however, of the men and women who patrol Florida's roadways, respond to thousands of traffic crashes, support hurricane deployments and serve as the front line for safety on our state's highways.
At a time when violent crashes are increasing, staffing is at crisis levels and Troopers are being paid monthly on salaries that lag 30 years behind Florida's economic growth, the omission is glaring.
While legislators debated reserves and rent taxes, the 1,700 Troopers sworn to protect the motoring public were again ignored. They received no mention in session wrap-ups, no analysis in budget overviews and certainly, no front-page attention. To claim that Florida's budget is complete when it fails to address the most visible and vulnerable layer of public safety is impossible.
We respectfully urge Florida's press to correct this oversight. Tell the full story, not just the tax breaks and budget games, but the silence that continues to surround those who keep Florida free.
Spencer Ross,
president,
Florida Highway Patrol,
Orlando
Job security
South Florida's Congressional politicians claim to be against President Donald Trump's immigration policies. However, until they vote on the record against him, their claims mean nothing.
These politicos don't dare vote against him; if they did, they would be primaried and lose their cushy jobs.
Sol Yanowitz,
Miami
