Republican strategist on warning signs coming out of Florida election results
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
24 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Florida's illegal immigration detention center is a constitutional nightmare
In the heart of the Everglades — sacred ground for Native American tribes and ecological treasures — Gov. Ron DeSantis has carved something unthinkable: an unregulated and patently unconstitutional detention center for immigrants. Republicans have mockingly dubbed it Alligator Alcatraz, evoking racist nostalgia for the 1950s treatment of Black Americans dumped in Miami swamps. This grotesque history now repeats. This swamp prison is not a federal facility run by ICE, but a state-run black non-site imprisoning people for political theater with $500 million of Florida taxpayer money annually. Though described by Florida's attorney general as a 'low-cost, temporary detention facility,' the truth is far more sinister. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Florida has no legal authority to detain immigrants simply for being undocumented unless that person is also charged with a state crime or subject to a federal detainer. Even then, a judicial hearing must be held within 48 hours to determine probable cause for arrest. This is guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. Yet those imprisoned in this Everglades camp hellhole — many with no criminal record — are held indefinitely without charges, hearings or meaningful access to legal counsel. That is not immigration enforcement; this is state-sponsored kidnapping. In holding immigrants as political pawns, DeSantis' message is clear: cruelty is intended. The suffering and neglect should horrify every American. The facility floods routinely. Toilets often don't flush. The food is scarce, often a sandwich. Medical care is nonexistent. This is not a detention facility. It is a constitutional crime scene. There is no space for attorney-client meetings. Lawyers are turned away or forced to communicate through fences and chain-link barriers — in plain violation of the Fifth Amendment right to counsel. The state of Florida ignores these protections and in response activists have begun filing suit. Moreover, the Everglades — home to endangered species and a UNESCO World Heritage site — is environmentally and culturally desecrated. The Miccosukee and Seminole peoples, who have lived in harmony with their sacred land for centuries, now fight back — suing to block the project because it violates environmental law and their sovereign treaty rights. One lawsuit this week prompted a temporary stop to construction at the camp. But DeSantis has bulldozed ahead, prioritizing ideology over ecology and cruelty over conservation. Even ICE — not known for its compassion — has distanced itself from this disaster, confirming that this is not a federal facility. If that is true, then ICE has no legal oversight, and detention is occurring outside any authorized federal immigration process. Thus, those imprisoned here are held solely by the state of Florida, which cannot incarcerate people who have not committed a state crime. This is not a gray area but a flashing red alert. The Constitution allows only the federal government to detain for immigration enforcement, and even then, only within the bounds of due process. Even if Florida claims to hold undocumented immigrants on ICE's behalf, it is in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment. This is the time for bold legal action. Every person detained is entitled to immediate release or a judicial hearing. Lawyers should file habeas corpus petitions in federal court now. Civil rights lawsuits under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 should be brought against every Florida official responsible. The Justice department should open a civil rights investigation. Congress must hold hearings. And if this facility is allowed to stand — if the courts do not act, if the public does not resist — then it will not be the last. The architecture of tyranny is modular. This is not just about immigration; this is a moral disgrace, an environmental catastrophe, a violation of tribal sovereignty and a constitutional abomination. It must be shut down. The Constitution applies everywhere — even in the Everglades. Justice cannot be confined by geography or politics. If you or someone you know is detained in this facility, fight back with every legal tool available. Our democracy depends on standing up to unlawful detention and demanding accountabilitybefore more lives are needlessly destroyed in this swamp of injustice. Irwin P. Stotzky is a professor at the University of Miami School of Law. The views expressed here are solely the author's and not that of the university.
CBS News
25 minutes ago
- CBS News
Pa. state lawmakers push to launch study to turn Penn State Fayette into military college
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania want to launch a study to potentially turn the Penn State Fayette County campus into a senior military college. Republican State Representative Charity Grimm Krupa represents the region and is the elected official proposing the study. Rep. Grimm Krupa said the goal is to make use of the facility after Penn State announced the closure of the branch campus. She said that no plans are currently being drawn up until lawmakers are convinced that it would benefit the community and the students. "My understanding is that there are only six military colleges across the nation, and there's no reason that Pennsylvania can't be home of one of those, and make it ultra successful," Rep. Grimm Krupa said. "I want to make sure that before we invest any taxpayer dollars in this, that it's a good idea and can be successful." A member of the Penn State Fayette advisory board said that there have been no discussions about turning the campus into a military facility. They are, however, pushing for the campus to be owned and operated by Fayette County. The campus is set to close in 2027.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Foreign governments bet big to lobby Trump on tariffs. Most came up empty.
Yet despite Mexico playing a more direct role in the flow of fentanyl — a top concern of Trump — it was the neighbor to the north that ultimately faced steeper tariffs. Canada now has a 35 percent tariff on its goods, while Mexico has stayed at 25 percent, even though most products are exempt under an existing free trade agreement. Mexico appeared to benefit from what one Mexican official described as personal ties between Trump and Sheinbaum. A Republican lobbyist working on Trump's tariffs suggested that making headway with the president requires a shift in thinking. 'I think what's happened with some of these countries is they felt entitled to the status quo,' the lobbyist argued. 'And they were offended that anyone, even the U.S. president, would suggest changing it at all.' The lobbyist pointed to the success that Sheinbaum has had in wooing Trump. Instead of taking a combative stand, 'the better approach is to look at it from the perspective of: The president wants to redefine the trade relationship between the two countries, and that's his goal, and you have to deal with him on those terms,' the person said. Leader-to-leader calls were particularly valuable in helping countries make their case directly to Trump. 'From my perspective, the best way to lobby President Trump is for the leader to face-to-face lobby him,' Tami Overby, a partner at DGA Group Government who focuses on trade in South Korea. 'It seems President Trump, he always talks about his relationships with other leaders. You know, whether we're in a good spot with that country or not [depending] if he feels like he's got a good relationship. And he sees himself as a deal maker.' Many of the firms enlisted to represent foreign governments before the Trump administration are mainstays of the D.C. lobbying scene, and plenty of countries already had veteran trade lobbyists or lobbyists with ties to Trump on their payrolls before the election.
