A coalition of Miami residents, a local student, and the civic organization Sistrunk Seeds filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Wednesday against Donald Trump and state officials.
The legal action seeks to block the state’s donation of a 2.63-acre waterfront parcel in downtown Miami to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, a transfer authorized last September by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The plaintiffs contend that the transaction violates the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which restricts the financial benefits a president can receive from individual state governments.
According to the filing, while a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser valued the site near the Freedom Tower at $67 million, independent real estate estimates cited in the suit place its market value significantly higher.
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The complaint characterizes the proposed development as a commercial real estate venture rather than a standard historical archive.
It references public statements from President Donald Trump and Eric Trump outlining plans for a high-rise structure featuring a replica Oval Office, a Boeing 747 display, and a luxury hotel.
“Florida’s gift of the immensely valuable MDC Parcel for lucrative private economic development benefiting the President and his close family members is an unlawful ’emolument’ under the Domestic Emoluments Clause,” the complaint states.
Additionally, the lawsuit argues the transfer causes local disadvantage by redirecting land previously connected to Miami Dade College and halting an urban farming initiative planned by Sistrunk Seeds.
When addressing the project’s scope, Trump previously told reporters, “This concept could be an office, but it’s most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath.”
State attorneys intend to vigorously defend the land transfer and oppose the requested injunction.
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