Lawsuit filings in Miami have put President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in court over a planned presidential library tied to a downtown Miami property, with plaintiffs arguing the arrangement violates the U.S. Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause. The suit, filed Wednesday, targets the donation of a 2.63-acre parcel for Trump’s future library—an effort plaintiffs say could also involve a hotel and other for-profit uses.
The complaint alleges the transfer of the land would provide a financial benefit to a sitting president, which the Domestic Emoluments Clause prohibits states from doing. Plaintiffs say the case is not simply about redevelopment, but about whether state-backed action effectively funnels value to Trump while he remains in office.
According to the filing described by the Associated Press, DeSantis moved last September to transfer the parcel to Trump’s presidential library foundation. The suit says the donated land is owned by Miami Dade College and sits next to the Freedom Tower, a historic site in downtown Miami that faces Biscayne Bay.
The lawsuit argues the land is “no longer available to serve MDC’s student community and Downtown Miami,” and it characterizes the planned use as a Trump hotel that would “bring riches to the President.” The complaint also reflects plaintiffs’ view that the library plans are tied to commercial activity, citing Trump’s own remarks about the possibility of a for-profit hotel component.
The AP report described a promotional video released in March and said it features an artificial intelligence-rendered concept of a tower that could include a presidential jet parked inside the building and other high-profile design elements. The filing’s account, as summarized in the report, also points to Trump’s suggestion that the concept “could be an office,” but that it was “most likely going to be a hotel,” with the building positioned below the hotel.
The lawsuit also frames the stakes for Miami Dade College as well as nearby residents. The report says the plaintiffs include a student at Miami Dade College, two people who live near the donated parcel, and a local nonprofit organization that had hoped to use the land for an urban farm.
The property’s context is part of the dispute. The AP account says the Spanish Revival skyscraper that formerly operated on the site later became a resource center for Cubans seeking asylum in the United States and that the college now operates the site as a museum, with the parcel’s location adjacent to the Freedom Tower.
The complaint cites an outside valuation, according to the Associated Press. It says the property is valued at roughly $67 million based on a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser, while also referencing other appraisals cited in the lawsuit that suggest the parcel could sell for significantly more.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday night, the AP reported. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, including attorneys with the Constitutional Accountability Center in Washington, D.C., and Miami-based Gelber Schachter & Greenberg, filed the suit on behalf of the groups and individuals challenging the land donation plan.