A coalition of local artists and residents demonstrated outside Miami’s historic Freedom Tower on Friday, rallying against Miami-Dade College’s decision last year to transfer public land for the development of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library while Trump serves as sitting president.
They argue that surrendering valuable public real estate for a sitting president’s project compromises assets earmarked for public education and violates constitutional principles.
"This property belongs to the public, the students of Miami-Dade College, and the history of this city," said Dr. Marvin Dunn. "Gifting public educational land for commercial enterprise and a sitting President's private legacy project is illegal, unconstitutional, and a betrayal of the public trust."
Dunn is also among a group of Miami residents who sued President Donald Trump, Miami Dade College and Florida state officials last May, alleging that the decision to donate the land for Trump's future presidential library — which might also house a hotel — is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit argues that the president, his presidential library foundation and state officials — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — violated the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from giving a financial benefit to a sitting president.
Last month, a federal judge in Miami dealt a blow to the plaintiff's lawsuit, ruling that "Presidential and Eleventh Amendment immunity defenses" should be resolved before the case can proceed, Law&Crime reported on Sept. 11.
Friday's rally location carries strong cultural significance for South Florida. The Freedom Tower is the home of the Miami News newspaper and operated as the Cuban Refugee Center from 1962 to 1974, providing assistance to hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees fleeing political turmoil. The National Historic Landmark currently operates under the stewardship of Miami-Dade College.
READ MORE: Trump and DeSantis sued over donation of Miami land for extravagant presidential library
Rally organizers said they are especially concerned about constructing a commercial project on land deeply tied to the immigrant experience.
“It’s totally disrespectful to all immigrants to construct a commercial enterprise honoring a man whose policies are actively dividing communities and riddling immigrant communities with fear. Directly upon the lot connected to our most precious symbol of Freedom especially for the Cuban Diaspora,” said Danny Fila, a local artist and co-organizer of Friday's demonstration.
The organizers want Miami-Dade College to reverse the transfer and preserve the site strictly for educational and public community use.
The controversy in Miami began more than a year ago when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moved to transfer a 2.63-acre parcel of land to Trump's presidential library foundation. Since then, the president and his son Eric Trump have shared extravagant plans for a skyscraper to house the library.
An artificial intelligence video unveiled in March includes panning shots of the tower's exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode while launching his presidential campaign in 2015. Other shots show a giant ballroom like the one he's planning for the White House, a replica Oval Office, rooftop gardens and a large, gold statue of Trump.
The president also suggested that there could be for-profit entities in the building.
"This concept could be an office, but it's most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath," Trump told reporters last March.
