The House Ethics Committee has formally recommended that North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph be held in contempt of Congress following what they allege was his repeated refusal to cooperate with an ongoing congressional investigation of former Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

In a report submitted to the House of Representatives last month, House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest detailed Joseph's failure to comply with multiple congressional mandates. The subpoenas, originally issued on September 11, 2025, sought both documents and testimony regarding an investigation into allegations concerning Cherfilus-McCormick.

Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress in April only hours before the House of Representatives was to formally discipline her as part of House ethics investigation into her use of campaign funds. She's also facing federal criminal charges accusing her of . She is one of several candidates running for the same South Florida seat, the 20th District, in Congress.

READ MORE: South Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns amid ethics investigation

According to the House Ethics Committee report, the panel's Investigative Subcommittee unanimously adopted findings regarding Joseph's non-compliance earlier this year. Upon reviewing the records, the full Ethics Committee concluded that Joseph "willfully failed to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the Committee, impeding the ISC's investigation."

鈥淭he Ethics report is inaccurate. I cooperated with their investigation as required under the law,鈥� , a SA国际传谋 news partner. 鈥淢y attorneys have contacted the House Ethics Committee to correct the record and rescind their report and recommendation.鈥�

The panel strongly condemned Joseph's defiance, stating that it aligned with the subcommittee's conclusion that his conduct is "egregious and warrants referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for contempt of Congress."

As part of its recommendation, the Committee put forward a formal House Resolution. The measure seeks to officially find Joseph in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena for documents as well as a subpoena for live testimony.

If approved by the full House, the resolution will direct the Speaker of the House to "certify the Report of the Committee on Ethics... to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia." This certification ensures that Joseph will "be proceeded against in the manner and form provided by law."

The report concludes by recommending that the House approve the resolution, signaling that the Speaker should "otherwise take all appropriate action to enforce the subpoenas" to protect the integrity of congressional oversight.

The House leadership earlier this week and sent lawmakers home early for the July 4 recess and is not supposed to return until midway through the month.

South Florida search-and-rescue teams, working with other first responders from around the world, helped pull a 43-year-old security guard alive from the rubble of a collapsed shopping center, eight days after devastating twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, Miami city officials report.

Hern谩n Alberto Gil Flores was rescued Thursday from the collapsed basement of the Galer铆as Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal town of Catia La Mar. Covered in dust and strapped to a stretcher, Gil Flores was cheered by helmet-clad rescue workers after enduring a grueling ordeal underground.

Teams carrying flags from around the world cheered as rescuers carried Gil Flores, wearing an oxygen mask and covered in an orange tarp, through throngs of people to an ambulance where they methodically checked his vital signs.

Gil Flores, who worked as a night-shift security guard at the complex, was inside his small security cabin when the first violent tremor struck. While the surrounding concrete structure , his cabin held ground, shielding him from crushing debris and creating a vital pocket of air.

First responders initially made contact with Gil Flores over the weekend, working more than 100 hours to free him by navigating a highly unstable structure, torrential rain and to tunnel down to the survivor.

The rescue was part of a massive international effort that included the Florida Task Force. Led by the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue, the task force deployed 80 highly trained personnel from various South Florida cities to assist in the disaster zone, said city of Miami officials.

The operation was coordinated by an urban search and rescue team of Chilean firefighters, who worked around the clock with specialized teams from the United States, Portugal, , Costa Rica, El Salvador and Venezuela.

Members of Miami's FL-TF2 worked shoulder-to-shoulder with international crews, utilizing specialized knowledge and high-tech equipment to finally free the trapped man.

In a statement following the operation, City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins praised the bravery and dedication of the rescue workers.

鈥淭oday, all of Miami has a reason to be proud,鈥� Higgins said. 鈥淭his rescue is a testament to what humanity can accomplish when we work together.鈥�

"My thoughts remain with Hern谩n Alberto Flores Gil as he begins his recovery, and with the thousands of victims from this tragedy," Higgins said.

The collapse of the building where Flores Gil worked was triggered by on June 24 that registered magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively.

The shallow, violent tremors damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of buildings across northern Venezuela, killing more than 2,200 people, injuring over 11,000 and leaving La Guaira state as the hardest-hit region in the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

published Thursday by Human Rights Watch and Miami-based warns that the end of Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for hundreds of thousands of Haitian immigrants will trigger widespread family separation, devastating economic losses, and potential deportations to a nation currently engulfed in unprecedented violence.

鈥淲ithout TPS protections, Haitians risk being sent back to one of the world鈥檚 most devastating human rights crises,鈥� said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement. 鈥淐ongress should act swiftly to preserve TPS protections for Haitians and prevent that from happening.鈥�

The two organization interviewed 40 Haitian TPS holders and more than a dozen community groups to assemble the report.

The report comes only a week after a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can terminate TPS for about 330,000 Haitian nationals. The ruling also named about 6,000 Syrian TPS holders.

The ruling has sparked a wave of panic through South Florida鈥檚. The region is home to the nation's largest Haitian community and an estimated 158,000 TPS holders.

Roots of TPS

to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters, civil strife and other instability. It allows people already in the country to stay with work permits in increments of up to 18 months, but it does not provide a path to citizenship.

READ MORE: 鈥楧evastating consequences鈥�: Haitian community, supporters sound alarm after Supreme Court TPS Ruling

Haitians were first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and extended them multiple times amid ongoing that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.

The Biden administration roughly doubled the number of people covered by TPS. The program currently protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

The Trump administration ended those protections, insisting it was meant to be temporary, declaring most countries as safe.

Immigration attorneys for the plaintiff countered that most countries of TPS holders, especially Haiti, remain unsafe to return.

Indeed, in Haiti, criminal groups now control roughly 90 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, with over 8,200 people killed between January 2025 and March 2026.

For those facing deportation from the U.S., the fears are acutely personal.

'Like a death sentence'

鈥淟osing TPS would be like a death sentence,鈥� a 28-year-old Haitian man told researchers, explaining that deportees are frequently targeted by gangs under the assumption that they have money. 鈥淭hey will try to extort or kidnap me. And because I have no money or savings to pay, they will kill me.鈥�

Another 28-year-old certified nursing assistant recounted fleeing to the U.S. after gang members killed her father and assaulted her and her sister. 鈥淚t was the only way to survive,鈥� she said.

The looming termination also threatens a severe economic shock to Florida, where Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $2.6 billion annually to the state economy, primarily within the health care, construction, and hospitality sectors.

Haitian community advocates warn that the loss of work authorizations will quickly ripple through local neighborhoods.

鈥淲ithout the ability to work, people will struggle to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads,鈥� said Thamara Labrousse, executive director of Sant La. 鈥淪ome may end up homeless, creating a humanitarian crisis for Haitians in the United States.鈥�

The crisis has sparked a flurry of legislative proposals. While the House passed a bill in April to extend Haitian TPS until 2029, the legislation is languishing in the Senate.

South Florida lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami Gardens, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, have also introduced legislation to halt deportations and allow for judicial reviews of TPS terminations.

Human Rights Watch documented numerous cases of TPS holders losing jobs due to employer confusion over expired work permits.

One 25-year-old caregiver who lost her job in February noted, 鈥淚t will get even worse if they take away my work permit, because then no one will hire me. I don鈥檛 know how I will survive.鈥�

The afterschool program Breakthrough Miami recently received $2 million from billionaire Kenneth Griffin's philanthropic and civic engagement initiative.

The education program鈥檚 mission is to build and strengthen student leadership. It achieves that through a students-teaching-students model. Mentors grow as leaders, and their mentees have someone they can trust.

鈥淭here are few places where a 14- or 15-year-old can begin a structured leadership journey that can continue through high school and college, gaining thousands of hours of real teaching, mentoring and workforce experience,鈥� said CEO of Breakthrough Miami Lori-Ann Cox in a statement. 鈥淕riffin Catalyst鈥檚 support allows us to scale this unmatched youth leadership pathway.鈥�

Griffin鈥檚 donation is expected to support more than 600 high school and college students each year. The funding will also help expand instructional coaching, recruitment and program capacity. Plus, it鈥檒l help increase the number of paid teaching apprenticeships and fellowships across South Florida.

READ MORE: Why Ken Griffin鈥檚 first Basquiat exhibition was always meant for PAMM

鈥淏reakthrough Miami has a profound impact on the lives of Miami students by teaching them the leadership and learning skills they need to pursue their dreams and aspirations,鈥� said Ken Griffin, an entrepreneur who founded multinational hedge fund Citadel, in a statement. 鈥淚 care deeply about the lives of young people, and I am excited to know that my support of Breakthrough Miami will make a meaningful difference in our community.鈥�

With Griffin's gift, Breakthrough Miami will also be able to conduct more evaluation and research aimed at testing the impact of its model, which is nationally recognized as one of the country鈥檚 top service leadership experiences.

Currently, the program serves 1,800 youth from more than 320 schools across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. But it's not stopping there 鈥� Breakthrough Miami is hoping to expand its reach by 40% by 2030.

This is a News In Brief report. Visit SA国际传谋 News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Residents in the western Palm Beach County communities have been pushing back for months against a controversial AI data center proposed near Arden, and they packed the hearing room on Thursday with over 100 people to make their voices heard.

The crowd, also featuring experts and activists, got a major win. The Palm Beach County Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend against the proposal for "Project Tango."

The final decision rests in the hands of the Palm Beach County Commissioners, who will vote on the project on July 15.

The application considered on Thursday is an expansion of an existing approval for a data center inside the Central Park Commerce Center. The developers are trying to significantly bump up the square footage to accommodate a "hyperscale" AI data center campus.

The , PBA Holdings, Inc, was looking to get the green light to bump up the allowed development space within the Central Park Commerce Center site from just over 2 million square feet to 3.6 million square feet.

READ MORE: Wellington residents, mayor push back on AI data center, cite risks to water, electric and equestrian industry

Local neighbors have rallied against the project, expressing deep concerns over its massive power and water demands and the potential noise it would generate right next to homes and local schools.

Raymond Penuela, an Arden resident who sits on the HOA board, said approving Project Tango would set a dangerous "legal precedent" for similar projects across the county.

"It's very concerning," he said. "It will be used for future decisions. It is your choice to allow that."

Eventually, Board member Susan Kennedy called the motion to deny the project, saying "the project fails to meet the county鈥檚 standards, including consistency with the comprehensive plan, consistency with the ULDC [Unified Land Development Code] compatibility with the surrounding uses, design minimizing adverse impact, design minimizing environmental impact in adequate public facilities," she said.

Earlier in the week, the county鈥檚 planning staff actually recommended that commissioners approve the project.

That all changed after intense public comments and board discussion. It boiled down, according to Board Chair Christopher Kammerer, to a lack of understanding of the tech and a massive identity crisis for the project: Is a data center light industrial or heavy industrial?

While data centers technically fit some "light industrial" definitions, their massive footprint and impact on the surrounding neighborhood, particularly the Arden community and Saddle View Elementary School, feel a lot more like "heavy industrial," he said.

In 2016, Palm Beach County approved a site plan for roughly 206,000 square feet of data center space, alongside a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse. So developers can legally build a data it. But the current zoning code treats a standard cloud-storage data center the exact same way it treats a hyperscale AI data center. And that's one of the main sources of contention.

Board member Claudio Mendoza warned that if they allowed this project to slip through, it would open the floodgates to "build the same thing everywhere."

South Florida school districts have again achieved A ratings after their students showed improvement on state test scores, according to data released this week by the Florida Department of Education.

Palm Beach and Broward counties received the top grade for the third year in a row. Miami-Dade County鈥檚 A rating for the 2025-26 school year is its seventh since 2018. Monroe County鈥檚 A-rating is its second in two consecutive years.

The state determines a district's letter grade based on multiple factors, including student performance on state tests, graduation rates and students' performance on advanced coursework. And this year the state adopted a new scoring system to catalogue districts by the letter grades.

The district grades are compiled of district-run and charter schools, which are publicly funded and privately run.

For the 2025-26 school year, 76% of Florida鈥檚 traditional public schools earned an A or B rating, up from 71% last year. Among charter schools in the state, 78% earned an A or B.

"While charter school students continue to outperform, it is evident that competition is creating a better product for our traditional public school students," said Florida Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas in a post on X.

With an increase in more school choice options for parents, the competition stakes are higher for school districts.

It's a rivalry Miami-Dade County Superintendent Jose Dotres has embraced.

"We have the best product to offer. This community is blessed by having exemplary, very, very, strong public schools," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

From 2023 to this past school year, the district saw an average of 6% to 17% increase across grade levels and subjects. At the top of the increase were English Language Arts proficiency among 6th and 7th graders, both groups achieving a 17% jump in three school years.

In the complete block of 3rd to 10th graders, the jump over three years was 13%. In math for the same group, it was 11%. Civics and U.S. history were 11% and 10%, respectively.

Districts across the state, including South Florida's, are also operating under a stressful financial situation as Tallahassee allots fewer dollars because of plummeting enrollment in public schools.

Despite that, Dotres is determined to keep striving for success, even as his

"鈥奧e are one of the most successful urban school districts in this nation," he said, "and these results are clearly stated. We have a record of seven As and that is difficult to find across the state."

READ MORE: Students in South Florida schools see test score improvements

School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas was also at Wednesday's press conference.

"...Teachers truly do God's work on Earth each and every single day, and they have done a remarkable job regardless of the challenges that we have confronted," she said.

No district-run schools received a D or F rating.

Broward County

Broward County Public Schools, the sixth biggest district in the country, earned an A rating for the third year in a row.

鈥淭his is an incredible accomplishment that reflects our continued commitment to academic excellence and student success,鈥� said Superintendent Howard Hepburn. 鈥淭his milestone is the result of years of intentional work, collaboration and an unwavering focus on helping every student succeed."

The state report also showed that 129 district-run schools earned A grades and 83 others earned B and C grades. No schools received a D or F rating for the third consecutive year.

鈥淭his demonstrates that the academic excellence at [the district] is no longer a goal. It is our culture, and it is our expectation,鈥� Broward School Board Vice Chairman Jeff Holness said at a news conference Wednesday.

Ten schools went from a C last year to an A this year. However, seven high schools were rated lower than last year, earning a C after being an A or B.

North Fork Elementary in Fort Lauderdale, which the board voted to shutter, received its first-ever A grade.

Palm Beach County

For Palm Beach County, the district's A rating "reflects our ongoing commitment to sparking academic success and helping every student ignite their future,鈥� Superintendent Mike Burke said in a statement.

Burke thanked teachers, district staff, parents and students for their commitment, but he also thanked voters for supporting public schools through property taxes, which supports arts programming, campus security, modern facilities and more.

"With our voters' continued investment in our public schools, we can sustain this momentum and remain the best choice for education in Palm Beach County," he said.

More than half of the district's elementary schools received an A rating. And the graduation rate was "record-setting," the statement said, at 93.5%.

Monroe County

鈥淭his 鈥楢鈥� rating is especially meaningful because it was earned in a year when the state raised the bar for excellence,鈥� said Superintendent Edward Tierney in a statement. 鈥淩ather than being discouraged by higher expectations, our students, teachers, staff, and families rose to meet them... I couldn鈥檛 be prouder of what we have accomplished together, and this recognition affirms that when expectations rise, so do we.鈥�

ELA test scored increased from 59% to 61% of students being proficient. The graduation rate in the district climbed from 88% to 93%.

Poinciana Elementary School celebrated its third consecutive A. Plantation Key School also received an A.

Horace O鈥橞ryant School in Key West received a C "while still showing areas of improvement," the statement said. Key West High School earned a C grade; last year it received a B.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, made an unannounced visit Thursday to an immigration office being used as a makeshift immigrant detention center in Miramar, following allegations from immigrant advocates that people are being held in 鈥渋nhumane鈥� conditions.

The visit comes after escalating pressure from immigrant advocacy groups, who on Wednesday called out called out U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials for reported mistreatment of migrants in their facilities. The advocates say the facility is overcrowded and that detainees are exposed to excessive heat, and have inadequate access to food, water, beds and bathrooms.

Under federal law, members of Congress are granted protected oversight access to inspect immigration detention facilities.

READ MORE: Immigrant advocates demand oversight of reported 'inhumane' conditions inside Miramar ICE facility

At a press conference outside of the Miramar facility on Thursday, Wasserman Schultz called the conditions inside 鈥渉orrific.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e been to this facility many times alongside my late colleague [former Congressman] Alcee Hastings because of reports of a lack of sun cover, water and toilets for people waiting to check in. Today, I had to do this surprise inspection to see inside for myself, and what I saw were people packed in like sardines, in conditions I wouldn鈥檛 wish upon my worst enemy,鈥� Wasserman Schultz said. 鈥淚 can tell you that these conditions are horrific.鈥�

During the press conference, spectators could see migrants waiting for processing in the hot sun for hours, unable to fit into the shade. She said ICE officers told her that this 鈥渨as not a concern,鈥� because people were processed into the building by 7 a.m., before the heat strikes.

Wasserman Schultz said that the processing office was holding detainees for 72 hours or longer in crowded areas, and that she saw 150 detainees at the center during her visit.

She also saw four 鈥渉olding tanks鈥� for detainees, with two for men and two for women, with a single exposed toilet in the corner of each tank. The capacity for each tank was 56, but the rooms were crowded well beyond capacity.

鈥淭he men鈥檚 area was about 15鈥檟15鈥�, with about 70 men crammed in, shoulder-to-shoulder and wall-to-wall. The women鈥檚 area was approximately 7鈥檟14鈥�, with about 40 people in the same tight conditions. Individuals were forced to sleep on a hard floor and made to use the toilet in front of others,鈥� Wasserman Schultz said in a statement following her visit.

Wasserman Schultz aid that ICE officials informed her that detainees are allowed one water bottle a day, along with 3 microwaveable 7.5 oz meals each day and a shower every other day.

Officers also said that they had at least one medical emergency a day where they had to call 911. Her press conference Thursday was interrupted when an ambulance arrive at the facility.

ICE officials also told her that there is no space for in-person attorney access or family visitation at the facility. Wasserman Schultz said she was disturbed to hear officials report zero inspections of the facility since it opened in October 2025.

Wasserman Schultz previously conducted unannounced visits to the now-closed Everglades Detention Center, better known as Alligator Alcatraz. Following that site visit 鈥� her second at the location 鈥� she reported finding similar "inhumane conditions."

鈥淚鈥檒l continue to conduct oversight of South Florida ICE operations and fight to hold them accountable for their brutality,鈥� Wasserman Schultz said.

ICE officials did not issue any immediate statement following Wasserman Schultz's, but in previous media statements said the agency is "committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments."

Miami鈥檚 steamy heat has taken a toll on soccer鈥檚 World Cup fans since matches started last month.

Of the 37 calls Miami-Dade County emergency workers received for heat distress, all came during the three matches where evening temperatures in Miami Gardens reached the high 80s 鈥� and even 90 degrees on the opening evening 鈥� according to CustomWeather.com. Lows never fell below 82 degrees.

The only match where officials received no calls fell on June 24, when Brazil played Scotland at the Hard Rock Stadium. Thankfully for the visiting Tartan Army, that took place during a relatively mild evening when highs only reached 81, with the low dropping to a cool 75.

Of the 37 people treated, Miami-Dade officials said five were transported to hospitals.

READ MORE: Why this summer's World Cup could be the hottest event in Miami - literally

This is a News In Brief report. Visit SA国际传谋 News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.

Amid the remarkable outpouring of earthquake aid to Venezuela from the South Florida diaspora, one expat who鈥檚 flying that help into the battered country has become an inspiration.

The pilot鈥檚 name is Eduardo. (He asked SA国际传谋 not to use his last name to protect his identity.) He鈥檚 lived in Doral for two decades, but still has close family and friends in Venezuela 鈥� especially in the central coast state of La Guaira, the place hardest hit by last week鈥檚 powerful twin earthquakes that killed at least 2,000 people, perhaps tens of thousands more.

"I have an uncle who was working in Maiquet铆a," Eduardo said, referring to the Sim贸n Bol铆var International Airport in La Guaira, itself heavily damaged in the temblors.

"I hadn't been able to get in touch with him since the earthquakes occurred last Wednesday."

READ MORE: Salazar: Venezuelan regime should not halt earthquake aid, Trump should halt deportations

Last Sunday Eduardo found out why, when he landed in La Guaira at the controls of a 737 freighter jet filled with earthquake relief aid donated to the nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Doral.

Asking for his uncle at the airport, Eduardo learned that he 鈥� and numerous other loved ones in La Guaira 鈥� had perished.

鈥淎s soon as I arrived," Eduardo said, "I started hearing about the deaths of a beloved uncle and aunt, a cousin, childhood friends and former pilot colleagues who were like brothers to me."

Spencer Taylor, a GEM director who'd accompanied Eduardo on the flight into La Guaira, said just seeing the destruction there as the plane approached visibly affected the pilot.

"You could see he was struggling, processing a lot of hard emotions," Taylor said on Wednesday from Caracas.

"But through it he still landed that plane, I think, because he knew what was on it 鈥� some of the first humanitarian aid to make it into Venezuela."

Still, Eduardo said, the fatalities he was apprised of after landing "was too much loss to bear.鈥�

But he did bear it 鈥� and said he became even more determined to keep piloting aid flights into Venezuela.

鈥淚t made me realize how urgently I still have to help the friends and family of Venezuelans who 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 die,鈥� he told SA国际传谋 on Wednesday morning just before taking off on his third aid flight from Miami International Airport.

That grit has made Eduardo a focus of even further motivation for the Venezuelan expats who've been volunteering in droves at GEM's vast headquarter warehouse in Doral, which Eduardo visited earlier this week.

"Gracias por lo que has hecho, pana! Estamos contigo" 鈥� "Thank you for what you've done, bro'! We're with you" 鈥� many aid donation volunteers shouted.

Venezuelan-born Doral City Councilman Rafael Pineyro, who spoke with Eduardo about his troubles contacting those relatives in La Guaira before the Sunday flight left Miami, said many if not most of those workers identify with Eduardo's tragedy.

"They've come out not just to help," Pineyro, said, "but to relieve their frustration and emotions because they themselves are still waiting to hear from a friend or a relative."

The South Florida diaspora, he added, has also donated relief goods at a volume GEM has rarely seen in response to a natural disaster.

And they're all too aware of how important Eduardo's GEM aid deliveries are, given how unprepared and ineffective the disaster response has been from Venezuela's corrupt and authoritarian regime 鈥� which in recent days has been condemned by Venezuelans and the international community for obstructing the U.S. and foreign aid effort.

Meanwhile, Eduardo said his aid missions to La Guaira keep showing him how awful the destruction there is and how much time and effort will be required to mend it.

"As I contemplate the deaths of my family members there between flights," he said, "I see families made homeless, living in the streets, many without clothing.

"Without the response of the U.S., the international community and the Venezuelan diaspora and groups like [GEM], I don't even want to think of how much worse it could be."

All he knows, he said, is that every time he lands at La Guaira now, he thinks about "how the grain of sand I represent in this effort" can at least make it better.

On a recent morning at Miami International Airport, a group of eight young children held on to their stuffed animals 鈥� and each other 鈥� as they prepared for their early morning flight to Guatemala.

All of the children, some of who are U.S. citizens, have had their parents detained or deported 鈥� and they were being flown to be reunited with them. The youngest child is only one year old.

As they anxiously wait, volunteers from the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Palm Beach County sit on the airport floor preparing documents and packing backpacks with coloring books, stuffed animals, crayons, snacks, toys and sweaters.

鈥淎 lot of these kids have never been on a plane before. They are going to fly for the first time without their parents, and so we try to make the process as comfortable as possible for them,鈥� said Lindsay McElroy, lead immigrant justice officer at the center.

READ MORE: Indigenous Guatemalan leader in Lake Worth bids farewell after surprise visit from immigration detention

A nonprofit that has served uprooted children and families for over 30 years, the Guatemalan-Maya Center has now flown 45 children to Latin America since the Trump administration started its immigration crackdown. The center assists families by connecting them with legal services through their partnerships and securing the children with travel documents, as well as their flight tickets.

McElroy said that the center knew they needed to step in after a massive raid in February 2025 in Palm Beach County.

鈥淭hen we realized this wasn't gonna be like the first [Trump] administration. This was different," she said. "The Trump administration is breaking the law. They're unlawfully detaining our community members. And so we started preparing families for family separation instead of just teaching them their rights."

The reunification process started soon after, when the center received a call from a school employee notifying them that a 12-year-old student was going home to an empty house every day. They found out his dad had been deported.

鈥淲e stepped in immediately. We reunified him, and that was the start of this process,鈥� said McElroy. 鈥淸After] that first reunification, more families started calling us, and we just responded to the work that is needed.鈥�

'God is good'

For this flight, married volunteers Audra and Roger Obando were accompanying the children to Guatemala. Audra, a nurse who has worked with the center for years, believes it鈥檚 important for people to recognize the gravity of these deportations.

鈥淚 think many people are still in denial, and they don't understand how severe the situation is, and how many families are being separated, and how many children are here without their parents,鈥� she said.

One of the eight children being flown to Guatemala was three-year-old Cristina, a U.S. citizen, whose parents were both deported to Guatemala.

Her mother was detained about a year ago. A few months later, her father left her with her aunt to attend an immigration check-in 鈥� where he was detained. The
aunt had been caring for her since, and later called the center to begin the family reunification process.

Also amongst the group were six members of a family. Ram贸n, 15, was traveling with sisters Mercedes, 13, Christina, 7, and Ingrid, 3, along with their mother Magdalena, who bought her own ticket and was self-deporting. They were being reunited with their father and eldest brother, who were deported a few months earlier.

One sibling, the eldest daughter, was staying back in South Florida to work and send money back home for as long as she could. But her son, one-year-old Angel, was also flying back with the group.

Christina, wearing pink and blue shoes that read "God Is Good," held tightly onto Ingrid's hand as she led the group through the airport. Mercedes, who was carrying Angel, told SA国际传谋 she wants to continue studying and follow her dreams in Guatemala. Unlike the U.S., Guatemala does not offer free public education past the sixth grade.

McElroy said that the family came to Florida legally under a Biden administration family reunification parole 鈥� but the Trump administration cut the program.

Research by the estimates that around 205,000 children have likely had a parent taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention since the Trump administration began.

Volunteer Maria De la Guardia said the administration's immigration policy was based on "cruelty."

鈥溾�奍'm just really angry at the immigration policy of Donald Trump and of his henchmen,鈥� she said. "They're not arresting criminals. They're taking the people who are working in the fields.鈥�

McElroy explained that the 287(g) agreements 鈥� partnerships between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement 鈥� have been devastating for the community.

鈥溾�奧e've had our families call the police for help, for welfare checks, for car crashes when somebody hit them, and instead of supporting them, the police have detained them and deported them. The 287(g) agreements are what is causing the trauma right now.鈥�

She described the heartbreaking realities of these reunifications.

鈥淭hese children are getting exiled from the only country they've called home. They're saying goodbye to all their family and friends they've ever known, the education they've been receiving, and they're going to some place that's completely unfamiliar to them,鈥� she said.

Seven-year-old Abel and three-year-old Eitan were set to be reunited with their mother. Their father had cold-called the center asking for help when she was deported two months ago. The father is hoping to stay to work and support his family 鈥� but is afraid of being deported himself.

As the brothers prepared to walk through security with the group, their father watched tearfully while Father Frank O鈥橪oughlin, the longtime executive director of the center, comforted him.

鈥淚t saddens me that they are leaving my side,鈥� their father told SA国际传谋.