ADC Wins Major First Amendment Victory in Pacheco v. City of Miami Beach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 29, 2026

MIAMI BEACH, FL | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) secured a major victory in Pacheco v. City of Miami Beach after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida denied significant portions of the defendants’ motion to dismiss, allowing key First Amendment claims against the City of Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner, the city’s Police Chief, and its officials to move forward.

The Court held that sending police to someone’s home over protected political speech constitutes First Amendment viewpoint discrimination and retaliation. The Court also allowed ADC to proceed with its claim against the City itself, finding that the lawsuit had demonstrated a pattern of discrimination against pro-Palestine speech by Miami Beach, its Mayor, and its city officials.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of Miami Beach resident and veteran Raquel Pacheco after Mayor Steven Meiner forwarded one of her social media posts criticizing his comments on Palestinians to Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones. Officers were dispatched to Pacheco’s home, forced an encounter after Pacheco said she did not want to speak without an attorney, wrongfully suggested that her post could incite violence, and told her to refrain from posting similar content in the future.

This visit was part of an ongoing tendency by Miami Beach authorities targeting individuals critical of Israel. The complaint cites restrictions on pro-Palestine protests, the City’s anti-boycott ordinance, its actions against a local theater for screening a film about Palestine, and the harsh treatment of speakers at City Commission meetings based on their views on Israel.

ADC President and National Legal Director Jenin Younes issued the following statement:

“This ruling is a significant victory for Raquel Pacheco, for the First Amendment, and for all Americans who care about the right to free speech and dissent.

The City downplayed what happened to Ms. Pachecol as a routine police visit. The Court disagreed, recognizing that sending police to someone’s home to question and intimidate them over their protected political speech can itself violate the First Amendment. We’re in Miami, not Cuba.

The government does not have to arrest you, prosecute you, or formally censor you to violate the First Amendment. The chilling effect of these actions is obvious.”

Public officials cannot use the machinery of government to intimidate people whose political views they dislike. The First Amendment is meaningless if officials accomplish through intimidation what the Constitution explicitly prohibits.

Case Information
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Pacheco v. City of Miami Beach, et al.
Case No. 1:26-cv-21901-CMA