How Miami Is Preparing for Potential Trump Unrest

Miami is bracing amid fears of possible protests and civil unrest as former President Donald Trump arrives in the city for his arraignment in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

The 76-year-old, who is hoping to get another shot at the presidency and has been the clear Republican frontrunner during the 2024 election campaign so far, is now facing 37 felony counts, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, making Trump the first former president to face federal criminal charges. He has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and has described the indictment as politically-motivated "election interference." Trump is due to arrive in Miami on Monday ahead of his appearance at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Courthouse for his arraignment at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

The former president's legal situation is unprecedented and there are fears violence could erupt between pro-Trump and anti-Trump factions. Tensions are running high amongst his supporters, with Arizona Republican Kari Lake recently warning anyone who wants "to get to President Trump" would have to go through her and National Rifle Association (NRA) members first.

In addition, memories of the deadly January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., after Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden will be fresh in authorities' minds. Some leading figures have linked Trump to the violence unleashed that day, although he has always denied being responsible in any way.

The former president is due to spend Monday night at the Trump National Doral Miami, with a pro-Trump rally planned for Monday afternoon, according to CBS News Miami.

Retired Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina told the station that law enforcement officials will have planned the event carefully.

"You're going to have City of Miami, probably the chief himself, you're going to have Miami-Dade County, Secret Service, FBI, the Marshals," he said. "They'll all be there to make sure there's a unified command."

Colina added: "It's a significant security event because of the amount of variables. There's a lot of hate groups in Florida, you have people that are pro-Trump, supporters that are going to want to show up and show their support, you have detractors that are going to want to show up, so there's a potential conflict there and I'm sure they'll put them in places where they can see each other but not touch each other."

Meanwhile, the Miami Police Department provided a statement to Newsweek on Monday morning from Chief of Police Manuel Morales.

"The City of Miami Police Department will work cohesively with our local, state, and federal partners to provide any assistance needed in the form of personnel, resources, detours, and/or road closures," Morales said. "We're committed to protecting everyone's first amendment right and will continue to serve our residents, business owners, and visitors while maintaining the safety of our community."

An FBI spokesperson told Newsweek: "The FBI works closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to detect any potential threats and keep our communities safe. We respect the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment protected rights. As always, we would like to remind members of the public to be aware of their immediate surroundings and if they observe anything suspicious to report it to law enforcement immediately."

The Miami Herald reported on Friday that security will be extremely tight around the area on Tuesday, and revealed that many of the roads around the courthouse, located on North Miami Avenue, will be closed. Readers were also warned of the likelihood of traffic jams.

Security agencies had declined to discuss details of how they planned to ensure the safety of the city and its residents, the newspaper added, but the U.S. Marshal Service, which provides courthouse security, said in a statement: "Ensuring that judges can rule independently and free from harm or intimidation is paramount to the rule of law, and a fundamental mission of the USMS."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security are also sending additional federal agents to Miami, an insider told the Associated Press last week, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Newsweek has reached out to the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also Trump's nearest Republican election rival, the city of Miami, and the FBI seeking further information and comment about officials' security concerns and how they are preparing to prevent and tackle any potential unrest.

Update 6/13/23, 6:19 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a comment from the FBI.