Judge Temporarily Halts Transfer of MDC Parking Lot for Trump Library

An eleventh circuit court judge, Mavel Ruiz, put a temporary halt on Miami Dade College District Board of Trustees’ plan to hand over a 2.63-acre parking lot to the State of Florida for the building of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. The judge’s decision, made official on Nov. 3, follows a verbal approval issued during a hearing on Oct. 14. Local historian Marvin Dunn’s request for a new public Board of Trustees meeting to discuss the land transfer was supported by Ruiz.
Dunn now needs to post a $150,000 bond within the next ten days for the injunction to move forward. He expressed his happiness with the ruling, highlighting the upcoming trial, depositions, and public discovery, predicting that details of the land giveaway would surface. Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega, when contacted for a response on Ruiz’s ruling, specified that she would reply the following morning.
The court’s decision was based on the fact that the Board of Trustees failed to provide adequate notice to the public regarding a special meeting held on Sept. 23 at the Hialeah Campus. During that meeting, the Board unanimously approved transferring the parking lot next to the Freedom Tower to the State of Florida. Ruiz declared this decision null and void.
The court detailed that the meeting notice failed to specify the real estate under discussion or the transaction being considered, thus not fully notifying the public about the issues at hand. The Board of Trustees has appealed the ruling and a hearing is set for Nov. 24.
Dunn is set to host a “Teach-In” event at the Teach the Truth Garden in Overtown, offering insights on the history of MDC and the protection of public land, scheduled for tomorrow at 12 p.m. Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Hammerhead, for regular updates. If you have any news tips, reach out to us at [email protected].