Marleine Bastien

Three separate elections for Miami-Dade County Commissioner seats are scheduled across Districts 2, 5, and 8. Candidates running for office have emphasized diverse priorities, including investing in infrastructure and making budget cuts. Issues raised during the campaigns include safety, quality of life, county fiscal stability, and establishing universal basic income.

Three candidates are competing for Miami-Dade Commission’s District 2 seat: incumbent Marleine Bastien, trapeze artist Miguel 'Skip' Quintero, and Ernst Jean. Bastien prioritizes affordable housing and infrastructure, Quintero advocates for transparency and universal basic income, and Jean’s background includes employment at Allied Universal Services. Quintero criticizes the county budget’s personnel costs and Strive 305 program.

The Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals in the U.S. expires after a court-issued extension, prompting fears of immediate deportations by the Trump administration. Haitian communities in South Florida, particularly in Little Haiti, face anxiety as advocates urge legal action to avoid removal to Haiti, which remains unstable due to gang violence and political crises.

South Florida leaders and activists are opposing the termination of Haitian temporary protected status (TPS) set to expire on Monday, warning of potential deportations of 350,000 community members. Legal challenges have paused deportations temporarily, but advocates argue returning Haitians to their homeland would endanger them due to ongoing violence and instability.

Venezuelan temporary protected status (TPS) holders and advocates are organizing an event in Doral to demand reinstatement of legal protections, as thousands face potential deportation in October. The push follows a one-month anniversary of catastrophic earthquakes in Venezuela and comes amid similar efforts by Haitian TPS holders, whose protections were recently extended by a court order.

An appeals court extended temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians in the U.S. until Monday, delaying their deportation deadline amid calls from local leaders for permanent legal protection. The extension follows a Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to revoke TPS, but local advocates argue returning Haitians to Haiti’s unstable conditions would be harmful.

Community leaders in Miami-Dade and advocates urge the US Senate to pass Senate bill 4814 to extend temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians as a Friday deadline approaches. They argue ending TPS would harm South Florida's economy, citing Haitian TPS holders' contributions of $5.8 billion annually and 95% employment rates. A two-week extension was granted by the Department of Homeland Security, but advocates stress urgent action is needed to prevent deportations to Haiti, where conditions have worsened since 2010.