Florida Judge Halts Miami Land Transfer for Proposed Trump Presidential Library: Legal Battle Ensues

In a significant legal development on Tuesday, a Florida judge has placed a temporary hold on the transfer of a prominent downtown Miami parcel designated for President Donald Trump’s future presidential library. The decision was delivered by Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz, following claims from a local activist that the transfer process violated Florida’s open government laws.

The controversy centers around an allegation that officials at a local college improperly handed over the valuable piece of real estate to the state. Subsequently, state authorities decided to allocate it to the foundation responsible for the proposed library. Judge Ruiz emphasized the gravity of the decision, highlighting the college’s failure to provide adequate public notice prior to last month’s vote on the matter.

“This is not an easy decision,” Judge Ruiz stated from the bench, clarifying that the case was not politically motivated but rather focused on procedural transparency. Her ruling underscores the importance of adhering to open government principles.

The property in question spans nearly 3 acres (1.2 hectares) and is strategically located along Biscayne Boulevard, a prime and undeveloped stretch in Miami. Valued at over $67 million as per a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser, the land is considered a developer’s paradise. Real estate analysts suggest that its actual market value could far exceed the official appraisal, potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars.

The nearly 3-acre (1.2-hectare) property is a developer’s dream and is valued at more than $67 million, according to a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser. One real estate expert wagered that the parcel — one of the last undeveloped lots on an iconic stretch of palm tree-lined Biscayne Boulevard — could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.

Marvin Dunn, an activist and chronicler of local Black history, filed a lawsuit this month in a Miami-Dade County court against the Board of Trustees for Miami Dade College, a state-run school that owned the property. He alleged that the board violated Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law by not providing sufficient notice for its special meeting on Sept. 23, when it voted to give up the land.

An agenda released ahead of the meeting simply stated the board would consider conveying property to a state fund overseen by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet, but provided no details on which piece of property was being considered or why. Unlike every other meeting the board has held this year, the 8 a.m. meeting on Sept. 23 was not livestreamed.

A week later, DeSantis and other top GOP officials voted to transfer the land again, effectively putting the property under the control of the Trump family when they deeded it to the foundation for Trump’s library. That foundation is led by three trustees: Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos, and the president’s attorney James Kiley.

Jesus Suarez, an attorney for the college, argued that MDC did what was required under the law and questioned Dunn’s political motivations for filing the case.

“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 said.

Attorneys for Dunn maintain that no one who wasn’t already in on the deal could have known what the board would do.

Javier Ley-Soto, general counsel for Miami Dade College, testified that it is still in the process of finalizing the land transfer. Delays caused by an injunction could cost the college up to $300,000, he estimated.

Other Florida locations had previously been floated as library sites, including properties associated with Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Florida International University in suburban Miami. DeSantis signed a bill this year preempting local governments from blocking development of a presidential library, aiming to overrule potential opposition in liberal-leaning counties or municipalities.