Federal Judge Denies Miami’s Appeal in Racial Gerrymandering Case; Community Groups Seek Public Input on New Maps
A federal judge has rejected the City of Miami’s attempt to maintain its current district map, which has faced allegations of being “racially gerrymandered.” Community groups are now seeking resident input on their vision for Miami’s next map.
Last month, Judge K. Michael Moore ordered Miami’s administration to discard its map of the city’s five commission districts after plaintiffs represented by the ACLU of Florida argued that the city drew the map primarily based on race. The judge agreed with a report stating that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their allegation, which was largely based on comments from commissioners during public meetings. Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Joe Carollo discussed preserving three Hispanic districts, one Black district, and one white district during commission meetings with map consultant Miguel De Grandy.
The City appealed Judge Moore’s decision on May 31 and requested that he delay enforcing his order pending the appeal. However, after a status conference with the judge on Friday, ACLU of Florida attorney Nicholas Warren said the judge had “indicated he would deny that motion.” There have been no updates to the case docket to confirm this.
Consulting the Community on New Maps
The plaintiffs, which include advocacy groups Engage Miami and Grove Rights and Community Equity (GRACE), presented their own ideas for “logical” district shapes late last month. Their two proposed maps attempt to use natural boundaries such as the Miami River and major roadways as borders for the districts.
The groups plan to hold a community forum on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. to present these maps to the public at Greater St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Coconut Grove. Reverend Nathaniel Robinson III, the pastor at Greater St. Paul and a plaintiff in the case, spoke at a Friday press conference along with Warren. He addressed the broader mission of the lawsuit, refuting “narratives” that portrayed the case as driven solely by the Coconut Grove community.
“The truth is that every citizen, every resident in the city of Miami deserves meaningful and equitable representation within our city limits. And so our case is not just about one community or one neighborhood. Our case was about the totality of the city of Miami and all of its residents,” Robinson said.
The City and the plaintiffs have been ordered to meet for mediation before June 23 and reach an agreement on a new map. If they cannot agree, Miami must submit its own map that complies with the U.S. Constitution by June 30. A non-racially gerrymandered map must be in place by August 1 to allow enough time before the local elections in November, according to a Friday scheduling order by Judge Moore.
