I was ejected from a Miami-Dade county commission meeting
On Tuesday, the Miami-Dade Commission censored our speech during public comment.
Several dozen community members came to speak on items 11A12 and 11A13, which deal with the way our government criminalizes poor people and young people. We spoke specifically about how undocumented immigrants are affected by these resolutions, especially in context of the climate of fear created by President Trump’s executive order and Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s unilateral policy reversal of a 2013 commission policy.
Commission Chair Esteban Bovo Jr. bullied community members and undocumented activists, turning their microphones off and throwing people out.
When I called him out for his unconstitutional restrictions on our speech, and encouraged the commission to stand with the community against the climate of fear created by Trump and Gimenez, he threw me out, too.
In the first week under the Gimenez policy, the Miami Herald reported that 11 people have been detained, many for minor offenses, and in process of deportation.
The commission wants us to wait another 10 days to discuss Gimenez’s policy reversal. How many more will be detained and deported during this time?
Juan Cuba, chair, Miami-Dade Democratic Party, Miami
This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 8:20 PM with the headline "I was ejected from a Miami-Dade county commission meeting."