The Tampa Bay Rays have made the “difficult decision” to halt an estimated $1.3 billion stadium and land redevelopment deal. The project would have secured the MLB club’s future in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a state-of-the-art ballpark next to Tropicana Field. 

The Rays’ current home is undergoing repairs after the stadium’s roof was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton in October. The Rays will welcome visiting teams to Steinbrenner Field in 2025. The 11,000-seat ballpark serves as the New York Yankees’ spring training home.

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said “a series of events” in October and financing delays led to “this difficult decision.”

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”

Sternberg added that the organization remains committed to resolving its stadium issue.

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“Our commitment to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a ballpark solution that serves the best interest of our region, Major League Baseball and our organization.”

“Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community,” MLB said in a statement. “Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”

Tropicana Field opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they took the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a driving force behind what was dubbed the “Here To Stay” initiative aimed at keeping the Rays in the city for another 30 years, said the decision was disappointing, but “it is not unexpected.”

It’s possible the Rays could be sold, he noted.

Tropicana Field before a game between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)

“If, in the coming months, a new owner who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities emerges, we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put our city’s progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner,” Welch said.

Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Those repairs are expected to be completed in time for the 2026 season.

“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”

The damaged roof of Tropicana Field, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, after Hurricane Milton made landfall in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024.   (Reuters/Octavio Jones)

The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by the construction of Tropicana Field and an interstate highway spur.

The Rays’ decision puts the broader project in limbo.

The Rays had faced a March 31 deadline to decide whether to continue with the new ballpark project. Under the agreement previously approved by the city and Pinellas County, the governments would cover about half the cost of the $1.3 billion stadium, with the Rays and their development partner Hines covering the rest, including any cost overruns.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Under the newly enacted Laken Riley Act, 14 illegal immigrants, including suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, were taken off the streets by federal law enforcement in Florida last week. 

Video shared by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, which works in tandem with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), shows criminal aliens being arrested at their homes during a three-day operation. Those arrested have been accused of crimes including sexual assaults on a minor and gang activity with Tren de Aragua, HSI Miami said in a post on X.

“As part of its routine operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests aliens who commit crimes and other individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday. “All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.” 

The arrests of the criminal aliens were a product of the Laken Riley Act, the first bill by the 119th Congress that President Donald Trump signed into law in late January. The law was named after Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia who was killed by an illegal immigrant on Feb. 22, 2024.

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Under that law, ICE can detain new categories of illegal immigrants who are considered public safety risks who would not have previously been detained by ICE. 

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., was the primary sponsor of the bill.  

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Laken Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Feb. 22, 2024. An illegal immigrant was convicted of her murder. (Laken Riley/Facebook)

“After the Laken Riley Act failed in the 118th Congress, I made a promise to the family of Laken Riley that I would fight just like she did to make sure that we got the Laken Riley Act passed into law so her name could live on in the lives she saves,” Collins told Fox News Digital.

“I could not be happier that President Trump made the Laken Riley Act the first bill he signed in his second administration so that there would be no waiting in getting these dangerous criminals off the streets and away from innocent Americans.” 

“Tren de Aragua gang members have no place in our country, and I’m glad I could play my part in sending them back to where they came,” said Collins. “Criminals need to know: the days of raping and pillaging our country with no consequences are over — Laken Riley made sure of that.”

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ICE arrests 32 illegal aliens in Palm Beach County, Florida, enforcement action. (ICE)

The law’s name honors Riley, an Augusta University nursing student who was murdered while on a jog on the University of Georgia’s campus. Her killer, Venezuelan illegal alien Jose Ibarra, had previously been arrested in the U.S. but was never detained by federal immigration authorities. He was convicted of Riley’s murder in November and sentenced to life in prison.  

Jose Ibarra was found guilty on 10 counts in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool)

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Meanwhile, Tren de Aragua has recently wreaked havoc across the U.S.

Though it has been on the radar of federal law enforcement in recent years, the group exploded into notoriety last year when a surveillance video showing several members kicking down the door of an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, went viral. Gang members were accused of terrorizing residents and taking over the apartment complex. 

Tren de Aragua began as a prison gang in Venezuela about a decade ago, but has risen to an international criminal enterprise that deals in murder and human and drug trafficking, eliciting comparisons to MS-13, formerly the most dominant Central American gang.

An investigation is underway at a Florida university after two fraternities were suspended for serious hazing allegations.

The University of Central Florida has suspended fraternities Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon after multiple reports of “dangerous and degrading” hazing, a school official said in a statement shared with WKMG.

According to an incident report obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, fraternity brothers at Sigma Chi allegedly hit pledges with a car as part of a hazing ritual.

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A sorority member whose house sits next door to Sigma Chi’s told police she heard yelling, saw a car strike a young man and then heard someone shout “help!” and “my bones, my bones, they’re broken,” a report said. 

In the statement, UCF officials stated that both Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon are on interim organizational suspension and under active investigation by UCF Police for felony hazing, including “a risk of injury or death.”

A detective assigned to the case wrote in the report, “Sigma Chi brothers had allegedly forced new members to stand in front of cars while members of the organization hit them with cars.”

The outlet uncovered that Sigma Chi has been a repeat offender at UCF, having been suspended eight times between 2015 and 2020, including four suspensions in 2019 alone. One of those 2019 incidents involved allegations the fraternity had blindfolded a pledge and forced him to use cocaine.

The national chapters have also temporarily suspended the UCF fraternities. 

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The oldest incident occurred in November at a fraternity house off campus, according to records obtained by WKMG. The incident happened while UCF’s main campus was closed and was not reported until Jan. 22.

A second hazing incident allegedly occurred on campus at the Sigma Chi house. The log says the incident occurred between Feb. 3 and Feb. 24 and was reported March 7.

A third incident, involving Sigma Chi, stems from allegations of a hit-and-run incident that occurred Feb. 24 on campus. 

UCF suspended fraternities Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon amid hazing investigations. Sigma Chi also faces a hit-and-run allegation. (FOX 35 Orlando)

The fourth hazing incident was reported March 4.

Authorities have not released details about the specific incidents that led to the investigations or whether any individuals have been charged. It is also unclear how long the suspensions will last or what disciplinary actions the fraternities may face.

This is the latest incident involving serious allegations within the school’s Greek system, which has added to growing concerns about a hazing culture on campus.

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The University of Central Florida suspended two fraternities as it investigates multiple reports of “dangerous and degrading” hazing incidents. (FOX 35 Orlando)

The suspensions follow last month’s action against Phi Gamma Delta for alleged antisemitism, which reportedly involved “the use of hate symbols.” 

“UCF unequivocally condemns hazing in all forms, and we are committed to holding individuals and organizations accountable for actions that threaten the safety and well-being of our students and others,” Courtney Gilmartin, assistant vice president of strategic initiatives and communications, told WKMG. 

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Gilmartin added that the fraternities’ suspensions barred them from on- and off-campus activities, including recruitment and social events.

Fox News Digital reached out to the university for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com