Miami is ready: Here’s how we’re planning for a change in Cuba | Opinion

In Miami, this story needs no introduction.

It arrives in different forms — in a grandfather’s silence when someone mentions Havana, in a mother’s insistence that her children speak Spanish, in the photograph kept in a drawer that no one moves. But despite these different experiences, the story is the same. Sacrifice. Starting over. Holding on to something you may never see again.

My parents met in New Jersey after fleeing Cuba. I was born and raised here in Miami, shaped by the values that journey demands — build something, make the most of every opportunity and never forget where you come from. My parents were business owners. They worked. They built. And every day, they carried the hope of seeing a free Cuba.

I met my wife at Florida International University. Like so many in this community, our experiences are different in their details but rooted in the same story. She, too, insisted that our children speak Spanish. She, too, holds on to something she has not yet seen — but still believes in.

From a young age, I understood that caring about your community was not optional — it was an obligation. That sense of responsibility led me to public service, and eventually to serve as a city manager, where I learned what it means to lead and to be accountable to the people who place their trust in you.

Now, I serve as a Miami city commissioner, a son of Cuban exiles carrying the same story forward. With that comes a duty to honor the legacy and aspirations of the community I represent.

That is why I brought an item before the Miami city commission: to ensure that our city has a clear, coordinated plan for a political transition in Cuba. Not a reaction, but a plan. Because when change comes — and it will — Miami will feel it first. We will be the first called upon. The first to respond.

That kind of response does not happen by chance. It requires coordination between federal, state, and local partners. It requires clear communication in multiple languages. It requires planning not just for logistics, but for people — for families, for communities, for a city that will feel the impact in real time.

It also requires clarity in roles. What has become evident is that much of that operational readiness on the city side is carried by emergency management and fire rescue — disciplines built around coordination, logistics and rapid response.

I have requested regular briefings from the city manager’s office, including any coordination with federal agencies, real-time monitoring of maritime activity and operational planning that reflects the scale of what a transition could mean for Miami.

Federal authorities have kept Operation Vigilant Sentry continuously active since 2022, anticipating sustained migration pressures in the Caribbean.

I will work with our federal partners to make sure Miami is prepared to activate emergency operations, establish humanitarian reception centers, coordinate health screenings and manage the very real pressures that come with a sudden influx of people seeking safety.

Miami and its people have been ready for this moment. It is my responsibility to make sure the city is too.

Ralph “Rafael” Rosado is the Miami city commissioner for District 4.