MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County Public Schools are bracing for a potential influx of migrant students as the district continues to recruit ESOL teachers and offers specialized programs to help foreign-born students acclimate.
Although official numbers for the current year are not yet available, the district told Local 10 News Tuesday it has the resources to welcome all students, regardless of how many arrive.
Over the past three years, the district has seen a fluctuating number of foreign-born students entering its schools.
During the 2021-2022 school year, 14,643 foreign-born students enrolled in Miami-Dade schools.
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This number rose significantly to over 22,000 students during the 2022-2023 school year, before slightly decreasing to just under 21,000 for the 2023-2024 school year.
To address the needs of these students, Miami-Dade school district officials are utilizing the Title I Migrant Education Program, which was established by the county’s bilingual department, to support migrant students who face challenges in acclimating to environments with U.S.-born students.
The program provides a range of services, including the Newcomer Program, which offers a set curriculum designed to help new immigrant students assimilate into Miami-Dade schools. This program assists students with everything from school registration to language learning opportunities.
The district has also shared its ongoing efforts to recruit talented ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teachers.
In a statement, Miami-Dade School district district officials said, “M-DCPS continues to recruit talented candidates to help students whose first language is not English.”
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Erica Garcia, Executive Director of the Migrant Education Program, spoke with Local 10 News about the district’s preparedness.
“Miami-Dade County Public Schools has several programs to handle the influx of new immigrant students,” she said.
Among the top three countries from which these students are arriving are Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti.
The district’s available services also include free lunch programs and after-school activities, aimed at providing comprehensive support to these students as they transition into their new academic environment.
As the school year progresses, school district officials remain committed to ensuring that all students, including those from migrant backgrounds, receive the education and support they need to succeed.
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A teenage boy remains in the hospital after a shooting in southwest Miami-Dade, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting happened along SW 152nd Avenue near SW 80th Street, where deputies say a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old boy were walking when someone opened fire from a vehicle. The 15-year-old was struck multiple times as the vehicle fled the scene.
Rescue crews took the injured 15-year-old to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where the Sheriff’s Office said he is in stable condition.
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According to authorities, the 16-year-old was able to help his friend reach a safe area and call 911 for help.
Deputies said they are actively searching for leads but currently have no information about the suspect vehicle or the people inside it.
“We do not have any information regarding the subject vehicle or the subjects within that vehicle,” said MDSO spokesperson Samantha Choon.
When asked whether the teens were targeted, the Sheriff’s Office said it is not ruling out that possibility.
“This is a heinous crime against children,” Choon said.
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The 16-year-old who called 911 was not taken to the hospital, but authorities said he is shaken by the incident.
“He’s a child. He’s shaken up by this,” Choon said. “So if anyone has any information, no matter how small you might think it is, please reach out to us and assist in this investigation.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305‑471‑TIPS.
Palantir announced Tuesday it has moved its headquarters from Denver to Miami – joining a slew of tech firms fleeing to South Florida as a growing number of industry leaders deem it the new Silicon Valley.
Tech giants have been increasingly flocking to Florida from business hubs like New York and California in pursuit of lower taxes, warm weather and safer neighborhoods.
“We have moved our headquarters to Miami, Florida,” Palantir wrote in a brief post on X Tuesday morning.
Tech giants have been increasingly flocking to Florida from business hubs like New York and California. be free – stock.adobe.com
The company did not immediately respond to inquiries about its reason for the move.
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Palantir was founded in Palo Alto, Calif., in 2003 and moved to Denver in 2020 as its CEO Alex Karp emerged as a vocal critic of Silicon Valley’s culture.
Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has long pushed for tech talent to move to Florida, cheered Tuesday’s “watershed moment for Miami.”
“This is the tipping point!” he wrote on X, using numerous exclamation points.
The Post has sought comment from Palantir.
Citadel’s Ken Griffin and real estate magnate Stephen Ross – some of the highest-profile billionaires to move to South Florida during the pandemic – recently launched a $10 million campaign to encourage business leaders to move to the Sunshine State, The Post reported.
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“The only place a CEO or founder can scale from 10 employees to 10,000 will be in South Florida,” Ross previously told The Post. “While other cities are still special, they no longer support building business and supporting ambition like you can find here.”
The campaign targets CEOs and investors with national ads and direct outreach, as well as a dedicated concierge program that can help executives relocate operations and navigate state regulations.
Apple has already expanded its presence in South Florida with a new Miami campus, while software company ServiceNow has committed to opening an office in West Palm Beach.
Amazon earlier this year signed a massive office lease in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.
Palantir announced Tuesday it has moved its headquarters to Miami. Getty Images
Billionaire Peter Thiel – Palantir’s chairman and co-founder – has ramped up his investments in South Florida, opening a new Miami office for his investment firm Thiel Capital late last year.
His venture capital firm Founders Fund opened a Florida office in 2021, near his Miami Beach mansion, and the businessman has even switched his voter registration to Florida.
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Citadel’s Griffin – who lived in Chicago for nearly three decades – was one of the most outspoken business leaders to vouch for Miami after his 2022 move.
“I’ve lived in a failed city-state. I lived in Chicago for 30-some years. I had two colleagues who had bullets fly through their cars,” Griffin previously told Fox News.
“I had 25 bullet holes in the front of my building where I lived. You can’t live in a city awash [with] violent crime.”
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