Plans to build Donald Trump Presidential Library on a prime piece of land in Miami have suffered a major setback after a Florida judge temporarily halted the land transfer for the purpose.
On Tuesday, Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz issued a temporary injunction blocking the transfer of a 2.63-acre parcel from Miami Dade College to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation, saying her decision was based on procedural fairness and not politics.
“This was not an easy decision. This is not a case, at least for this court, rooted in politics,” Ruiz said while announcing her ruling.
Last month, the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees approved transferring a nearly three-acre parcel to the Donald Trump Presidential Library Foundation, a nonprofit chaired by Trump’s son, Eric Trump. The property, currently used as an employee parking lot, sits beside the historic Freedom Tower, a landmark that once served as a resource center for Cuban refugees fleeing communism in the 1960s and 1970s. Valued at about $66 million, the land could fetch over $360 million on the open market, according to reports.
In response to the approval, Marvin Dunn, a retired Florida International University professor and community activist known for documenting Black history, filed a lawsuit opposing the deal. He argued that Miami Dade College violated Florida law and the public trust by attempting to use public educational property for a private, political purpose.
“Miami Dade College is a public educational institution, not a political enterprise, and must not become the custodian of any former president’s personal monument, the proposed conveyance would divert land held in trust for educational purposes to serve private and partisan interests,” Dunn said.
Dunn also alleged that the college’s board failed to provide sufficient public notice or details about the land transfer during its September 23 meeting.
Defending the board’s decision, Jesus Suarez, an attorney for Miami Dade College, said it met all legal requirements and suggested that Dunn’s lawsuit was politically motivated.
“There is no requirement under Florida law that there be specificity on notice, because those trustees can come into that room and talk to each other about whatever they wish,” Suarez countered.
Dunn, who once sought a congressional seat as a Democrat in 2018 before withdrawing from the race, has been a vocal critic of Trump and led a protest against the land transfer last month.
For now, it remained unclear whether the Trump Foundation or Miami Dade College will appeal the ruling.
