LTC 301-2025 Hispanic Affairs Committee MotionLETTER TO COMMISSION
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MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
LTC #301-2025
TO: Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner
FROM: Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk
DATE: July 18, 2025
SUBJECT: Hispanic Affairs Committee Motion
The purpose of this Letter to Commission (L TC) is to inform the Mayor and City Commission of the following Motion passed by the Hispanic Affairs Committee at their July 17, 2025 meeting:
•Members present: Carmen Datorre, Elba Machado, Julian Linares, Gustavo Briand andNatasha Fernandez
•Members absent: Rosary Plana Falero and Chrystianne Lendeborg
•City Liaison: Leonor Hernandez
MOTION: The Hispanic Affairs Committee supports attached Resolution C7 Y of the July 23, 2025 City of Miami Beach Commission Agenda that strongly opposes dehumanizing and violent rhetoric targeting immigrants, including the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility and statements by national leaders; affirm the dignity and contributions of Hispanic and immigrant families in Miami Beach; and reject language and practices that promote hunting down, caging, wrongful detention, celebrating harm against immigrants, including the use of deadly wildlife such as alligators in the Everglades.
The Committee urges that it is imperative that this be a unanimous vote of the City of Miami Beach Mayor and Commissioners.
Motion made by Julian Linares Motion seconded by Carmen Datorre Motion unanimously approved by all members present.
REG:lh
RESOLUTION NO.------
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH,FLORIDA,STRONGLY OPPOSING DEHUMANIZING
AND VIOLENT RHETORIC TARGETING IMMIGRA NTS,INCLUDING THE
"ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ "DETENTION FACILITY AND STATEMENTS BY
NATIONAL LEADERS;AFFIRMING THE DIGNITY AND CONTRIBUTIONS
OF HISPANIC AND IM MIGRA NT FAMILIES IN MIAMI BEACH;AND
REJECTING LANGUAGE AND PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE HUNTING
DOW N,CAGING,W RONGFUL DETENTION,OR CELEBRA TING HARM
AGAINST IMMIGRANTS,INCLUDING THE USE OF DEADLY WILDLIFE
SUCH AS ALLIGATORS IN THE EVERGLA DES.
WHEREAS,the C ity of M iam i Beach is a diverse,inclusive com m unity built and
strengthened by generations of im m igrants and their fam ilies,whose labor,businesses,and
culture contribute im m easurably to our econom y,resilience,and unique identity;and
W HEREAS,M iam i Beach was am ong the first cities in Florida to pass legal pro tections
fo r LG BT Q +residents and visitors,to condem n antisem itism and racism ,and to form ally
recognize and celebrate Juneteenth,Pride M onth,and Hispanic Heritage M onth,reinfo rcing its
identity as a diverse and inclusive com m unity;and
W HEREAS,this legacy now calls us to speak out clearly and unequivocally against the
gro w ing use of violent and dehum anizing rhetoric directed at im m igrants rhetoric that threatens
the safety,dignity,and w ellbeing of thousands of fam ilies who call M iam i Beach hom e;and
WHEREAS,our im m igrant residents -m any of whom are Hispanic,but also from Haiti,
the C aribbean,Europe,Asia,and across the globe are not crim inals to be hunted or caged,
but rather w orkers,caregivers,business ow ners,artists,and essential m em bers of our econom y,
our neighborhoods,and our shared civic life;and
WHEREAS,in recent m onths,national political figures have used rhetoric that
dehum anizes im m igrants and prom otes violence,cruelty,and wrongful detention including:
•O n July 1,2025,President Donald Trum p toured a newly established migrant detention
fa cility in the Florida Everglades c olloquial ly known as "A lligator Alcatraz"a nd made
rem arks referring to detainees as "som e of the m ost vicious people on the planet,"further
characterizing the environm ent and local Everglades wildlife such as alligators as
appropriate deterrents to m igration ([A P ,NYT ,July 1-2,2025));and
•On June 15 ,2025,President Trum p posted on Truth Social that "ICE and local police
m ust **hunt them dow n w herever they are hiding every resource must be used to ro ot
them out and R EM O V E them ,"pledging to use the National Guard and even active-duty
m ilitary to carry out the largest m ass deportation pro gram in U.S.history ([Reuters,June
15 ,2 025]);a nd
•Senior off icials in President T rum p's current adm inistration have described im m igrants as
an "invasion"and have invoked wartime authority to justify mass detentions and
deportations (see Presidential Executive Order 14159,"Pro tecting the American People
Against Invasion");and
•Administration policies have been accompanied by rhetoric portraying immigrants as
criminals,threats to national security,and contributors to the "poisoning of the blood"of
the nation -echoing historically dangerous language used to justify exclusion and violence
([New York Times,March 18,2024]):and
WHEREAS,these remarks and the policies they justify have tangible consequences -
especially in South Florida,where several recent cases illustrate the real-life consequences of
violent rhetoric,harsh enforcement actions,and mistaken identity for law-abiding immigrants:
•In May 2025,Peter Sean Brown,a U.S.citizen,was wrongfully detained in Monroe County
at ICE's request despite valid proof of citizenship -a federal court ruled his constitutional
rights were violated ([ACLU Florida,WLRN,May 2025]);
•In April 2025,Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez,a U.S.-born South Florida resident,was stopped
and jailed under an immigration hold despite valid ID,then detained by ICE before release
([WCTV,April 2025]);
•In April 2025,Josue Aguilar Valle,a Honduran immigrant married to a U.S.citizen with an
approved petition and a Miami Beach High School Class of 2018 alumnus,was arrested
by ICE agents inside the USCIS Kendall office despite no criminal history ([WLRN,April
2025]);
On June 26,2025,Isidro Perez,a 75-year-old lawful Cuban resident,died in Krome
Detention Center following medical neglect ([WPBF,June 2025]);
WHEREAS,such cases also demonstrate how extreme rhetoric and harsh,broad
enforcement approaches can lead to profiling,wrongful detention,family separations,and tragic
loss of life -threatening the families who help power Miami Beach's economy,neighborhoods,
and vibrant community life;and
WHEREAS,the senior officials in President Trump's current administration,including the
Secretary of Homeland Security and Press Secretary,speaking about "Alligator Alcatraz,"have
described the individuals at the facility as "...illegal murderers and rapists and heinous
criminals ...",and have said that facilities such as "Alligator Alcatraz""and other facilities like it will
give us the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who enter our country ..."([CNN,July
1,2025]);and
WHEREAS,according to the Deportation Data Project,out of least 56,000 individuals held
in ICE detention nationwide as of mid-June 2025-nearly half (approximately 30,000 people)lack
any criminal convictions ([NPR,July 2025]);and
WHEREAS,in parallel,the federal government has initiated efforts that may threaten the
legal standing of naturalized U.S.citizens,with the Department of Justice announcing expanded
resources to pursue denaturalization cases against citizens accused of errors during the
naturalization process,leaving many in our community uncertain and afraid ([Miami Herald,July
2025]);and
WHEREAS,families of detainees being held at the Everglades facility have relayed
firsthand to the Miami Herald and other outlets reports of days without showers,lack of clean
water,spoiled food infested with maggots,mosquito and bug swarms,extreme temperature
swings,and unsanitary toilets in the facility's temporary tent structures;and
W HEREAS,Miami Beach stands in firm opposition to words and actions that treat all
migrants as dangerous criminals and rejects inhumane detention conditions including reports
from the Everglades facility;and
W HEREAS,in a July 3,2025 statement posted to the Archdiocese of Miami website,
Archbishop Thomas Wenski condemned the facility as "alarming"and "unbecoming of public
officials,"called enforcement tactics that treat all irregular migrants as dangerous criminals
"intentionally provocative,"and warned such rhetoric is "corrosive of the common good";and
W HEREAS,the vagueness,breadth,and lack of transparency of these initiatives are
causing significant anxiety among the South Florida community,where immigrant families,
including naturalized citizens,form a vital part of the social fabric,and where many now fear that
unclear standards could subject them or their loved ones to arbitrary investigations or loss of
rights,despite years of lawful presence and contribution;and
W HEREAS,the values of the Miami Beach community compel us to oppose hate in all its
forms and to stand firmly with immigrant families who,like generations before them,come to
our City not to harm,but to build,serve,and contribute.
NO W ,THEREFO RE,BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
CO M M ISSIO N OF THE CITY OF MIAM I BEACH,FLORIDA,that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby strongly oppose dehumanizing and violent rhetoric targeting immigrants,
including the "Alligator Alcatraz"detention facility and statements by national leaders;affirm the
dignity and contributions of Hispanic and immigrant families in Miami Beach;and reject language
and practices that promote hunting down,caging,wrongful detention,or celebrating harm against
immigrants,including the use of deadly wildlife such as alligators in the Everglades.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of '2025.
ATTEST:
Steven Meiner,Mayor
Rafael E.Granado,City Clerk
(sponsored by Commissioner Alex J.Fernandez)
APPROVED AS TO
FORM &LANGUAGE
8 FOR EXECUTION
2 lo )2e zs
Date