Latest news with #MiamiDade
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
In chaotic, shameful scene, Miami-Dade commissioners watch public speaker dragged out
The chaotic scene that broke out Thursday at the Miami-Dade commission meeting should concern everyone who still believes in open government. A local resident identified as Camila Ramos, 36, was forcibly dragged from the meeting by Miami-Dade sheriff's deputies after attempting to ask a question about the immigration enforcement agreement between Miami-Dade and ICE, a volatile topic, especially in South Florida. It was a shocking moment: scuffles, pleas to be allowed to speak, the crowd chanting 'Let her speak' as Ramos was dragged along the floor of the chamber and out the door by multiple law enforcement officers. Many members of the public held up their phones to video the appalling spectacle. It's also a flashing red warning light. Miami-Dade and other Florida elected officials are acting increasingly inaccessible. Public input, which should be at the heart of our government, seems to be eyed with increasing suspicion or outright hostility. Ramos wasn't threatening anyone. Yes, she was an opponent of the agreement. But she merely asked a question about her right to speak after Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez said he would end future public comment if anyone spoke. How does that warrant dragging her out of the room? 'I just asked a question!' Ramos pleaded, as she was grabbed and hustled out. 'I have a right to understand this process,' she pleaded. She's right. We'd like to understand it, too. Some commissioners wanted the speakers to be heard. Others explained that the agreement with ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — wasn't on the agenda, or at least they didn't think so. The confusion helped increase the temperature in the room. But clamping down on public speech with violence is a serious and dangerous thing to do. It wasn't just Ramos being taken from that room — it was the public's right to participate. Thursday's episode is part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern: Politicians in Miami and in Florida seem to be making it harder for constituents to come in front of them to be heard. Public town halls and open forums are dwindling. Comment times in public meetings are short. The shift reflects a fear of confrontation — but in dodging conflict, our leaders are also dodging accountability. We've seen Miami city commissioners sit through public hearings with little interest in what is being said by the public. The hearings usually end with a vote where elected officials do exactly what they were going to do before the public spoke. Public comments are treated as little more than a show — and constituents know it. What happened Thursday wasn't just a breakdown in communication. It was a silencing of debate. The commission had already moved to defer a vote on a new ICE jail agreement, a cooperation agreement that Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava had signed. (It is now mandated by state law.) Rodriguez told those who signed up to speak on the topic that they could — but this time only. If the matter ever returned for a vote, Rodriguez said there would be no further public comment. That's confusing — none at all, ever? — and seems strangely punitive. Ramos was, understandably, seeking clarification. And that's when she was dragged out. The item on the agenda Thursday was a modification of county-ICE agreement that included reimbursement provisions for inmates held at Miami-Dade jails when they are sought for deportation. The agreement raises concerns about due process, public records and the potential for people to disappear into an immigration abyss. Yet instead of listening, the Miami-Dade commission met simple questioning with brute authority. And we didn't see or hear anyone from the dais calling for calmer heads to prevail. For the average citizen, standing at a microphone during public comment may be their only shot at being heard. But, on Thursday, that right was denied and punished. The Miami-Dade commission may think it enforced its control on the chamber, but what it really did was show the public just how far removed it has become from the people it claims to serve. Click here to send the letter.
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Protesters released after arrests at contentious Miami-Dade Commission meeting
The two people arrested at a Miami-Dade County Commission meeting on Thursday have been released from jail, following a confrontation that drew sharp criticism from immigrant advocates. Camila Ramos, 36, was released Friday afternoon from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. She did not speak to reporters as she walked to her car. Confusion during deferred ICE vote Ramos was arrested after she spoke up during confusion over whether the public would be allowed to comment on a deferred vote involving an agreement with ICE and county jails. The proposal includes reimbursement for housing local inmates awaiting deportation. She was charged with resisting arrest with violence and battery on an officer. In bond court Friday, her attorney said she was denied bond the day of her arrest. "Obviously that was just a ruse to make her spend a night in jail. They also took a simple battery and made it an aggravated battery," the attorney said. "She's already been more punished than she should've been." Z Spicer, who was also arrested, was charged with resisting arrest without violence and bonded out Thursday night. Advocates condemn arrests, demand action A group of immigrant advocates held a press conference Friday, calling the arrests shameful and demanding that the charges be dropped. They also urged the county mayor, sheriff, and commissioners to address the incident. "This is an attack on free speech on our rights to give public comment," said Juan Cuba with Sheriff Accountability Action. "They push us, they scream to us, even one guy, one police officer came with a rifle. Do they need a rifle there, really?" said Karla De Anda with the Right to Freedom Network. Commissioner calls for rule changes On Thursday, District 13 Commissioner Rene Garcia commented on the arrests. "I think today was a great exercise in figuring out that we must modify our rules a little bit to make sure that we never take people's right away to speak on any item," Garcia said. CBS News Miami has reached out to the Miami-Dade sheriff, the county mayor's office, and county commissioners for comment but has not yet received a response.
CBS News
14 hours ago
- CBS News
Child dies after being pulled from backyard pool near Miami Shores
Four-year-old girl dies after being pulled from backyard pool in El Portal Four-year-old girl dies after being pulled from backyard pool in El Portal Four-year-old girl dies after being pulled from backyard pool in El Portal A 4-year-old girl has died after she was found floating in a backyard pool early Friday morning, leaving neighbors in the El Portal community heartbroken and searching for answers. Authorities said someone called 911 at around 3:40 a.m. to report the child in distress. A dispatcher could be heard in a radio transmission saying, "The patient is in the pool and drowning." Emergency response and hospital transport Paramedics rushed the girl from the home, located near NW 90th Street and NW 1st Avenue, to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Chopper 4 video showed the pool with no protective fence around it. Footage showed the child being taken into the hospital while a paramedic held a woman's hand. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities have not said how the child ended up in the pool. Neighbors express shock and grief Neighbors said they were devastated by the news and questioned how the child ended up outside so early in the morning. "It is unfortunate. It is a very sad story," said next-door neighbor P. Moreau. "To me it is very unusual, especially at 3:40. I still cannot imagine that happening at that time when kids should be sleeping." Another neighbor said, "When I saw the yellow tape, my heart dropped. My heart, my stomach is torn." "That is very sad. I mean, it's very sad and for that to happen, then I don't know," a third neighbor said. "They are new to the neighborhood. I mean, they have been here a couple of years. I didn't get the chance to meet them. My heart goes out to them." The home remained taped off with yellow crime scene tape as investigators continued their work.
Al Arabiya
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Environmental Groups Sue to Block Migrant Detention Center Rising in Florida Everglades
Environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Friday to block a migrant detention center being built on an airstrip in the heart of the Florida Everglades. The lawsuit seeks to halt the project until it undergoes a stringent environmental review as required by federal law. There is also supposed to be a chance for public comment, according to the lawsuit filed in Miami federal court. The center, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is set to begin processing people who entered the US illegally as soon as next week, the governor said Friday on Fox & Friends. The state is plowing ahead with building a compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers, and other temporary buildings at the Miami-Dade County–owned airfield in the Big Cypress National Preserve about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami. The lawsuit names several federal and state agencies as defendants.
CBS News
19 hours ago
- CBS News
Large police investigation after pursuit ends in Medley
Several people were taken into custody after a brief police pursuit and bail out that started in Sweetwater. The chase came to an end in the 11800 block of NW South River Drive in Medley. Multiple agencies, including the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, are involved in the investigation. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported two people to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. This is a developing story, check back for updates.
