Hialeah city council votes to rename street after Donald Trump despite opposition

The Hialeah city council approved a proposal Tuesday night to rename a historic road after former President Donald Trump.

At Trump's rally last week, Hialeah Mayor Esteban "Steve" Bovo announced his intention to rename the four-mile-long Palm Avenue as he held up a street sign bearing "President Donald J. Trump Avenue."

The city’s Historic Preservation Board voted unanimously last June against naming the street after Trump, but that decision isn’t binding. The board doesn't have the authority to name the streets, according to Ferny Coipel.

"All we do is recommend or deny recommendation to the city council, so the city makes the final decision," Coipel said in an interview Tuesday.

Coipel questioned the mayor's move because Bovo threw out a street naming application for the city’s first Hispanic council member because he’d been federally indicted, though the charges were dropped. The former president currently faces 91 criminal charges in four states, and a jury found him liable for sexual assault and defamation back in May.

Coipel said board members are worried attaching Trump’s name to such a prominent road would become an embarrassment.

"Erring on the side of caution, we took that into consideration also when denying recommendation," Coipel said.

Resident and advocate Milly Herrera wants streets named after those who have direct historical significance in Hialeah.

“Donald Trump doesn’t know how we live," Herrera said. "He’s a developer and all they see is New York metropolis, and that’s not who we are. We are these factories and working-class people, and we want representatives and people to have their streets named for those who represent us."

Two city council members were at the rally last week when the mayor presented the former president with the sign, signaling their support for the naming.