First Amendment

Miami Beach Can't Dodge First Amendment Lawsuit After Police Questioned Woman Over Anti-Israel Facebook Post

Miami Beach detectives questioned Raquel Pacheco at her house over her pro-Palestine Facebook comments. A judge ruled several key claims in her First Amendment lawsuit against the city can proceed.

C.J. Ciaramella | 9.30.2026 1:26 PM

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A Miami Beach woman's First Amendment lawsuit against the city, its mayor, and police chief can partially proceed after a federal judge ruled on Monday that she had adequately alleged that Miami Beach has a policy and practice of targeting criticism of Israel.

Raquel Pacheco, represented by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), filed a civil rights lawsuit in March against Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones, a city council member, and the municipality, alleging that her First Amendment rights were violated when a Facebook comment criticizing Meiner's position on the Israel-Palestine conflict led to police detectives being dispatched to her house to question her.

Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga granted the city's motion to dismiss Pacheco's lawsuit in part, tossing out several of her claims. However, Altonaga ruled that Pacheco had sufficiently shown at this initial........

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