4 February 12-18, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MIAMI MAYOR EILEEN HIGGINS BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON For the first time in Miami’s history, the city is being led by a woman — in the only major U.S. metro founded by one (shoutout to Mary Brickell). And in 2026, that woman is Eileen Higgins. After defeating Trump-backed Emilio González in December 2025, Higgins became the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to win Miami’s mayoral seat. Now, her early moves on immigration enforcement, affordable housing, and City Hall reform are being watched closely, not just by Miami residents, but by a national audience looking for how Democratic mayors navigate a second Trump administration. Higgins is still something of a political newcomer by South Florida standards. She first entered office in 2018, winning a special election to the Miami-Dade County Commis- sion, where she went on to represent a con- servative-leaning district that includes Little Havana. There, she leaned into the nickname “La Gringa” (Spanish shorthand for a white, non-Latin American woman) and built a rep- utation as a pragmatic dealmaker, touting nearly $3 million in small-business grants and the creation or planning of roughly 7,000 af- fordable housing units. Her background sets her apart from much of Miami’s political class. Born in Ohio and raised in New Mexico, Higgins moved to Mi- ami in the early 2000s after earning degrees in mechanical engineering and business from the University of New Mexico and Cornell University — a résumé that now informs her technocratic pitch for fixing City Hall. Higgins did not return New Times’ re- quests for comment. Miami Agenda Housing sits at the center of Higgins’ may- oral vision. Throughout her campaign, she promised to cut red tape, overhaul permitting, and root out corruption so that “government can get to work creating a prosperous and af- fordable future for all residents.” She has also pledged to improve transit and walkability, in- vest in flood mitigation, and restore public trust in a City Hall long marred by scandal. But it is immigration where Higgins has drawn her sharpest contrasts with the Trump administration. After Trump endorsed González, she openly distanced herself from what she called the president’s “cruel” policies. “We are an immigrant-based place. That’s our uniqueness. That’s what makes us spe- cial,” she told Madrid-based newspaper El País during the campaign. Since taking office, Higgins has emerged as a vocal national figure on the issue. In a January interview with Newsweek, she ar- gued that Miami’s diversity has strength- ened the city, not weakened it. And during a recent appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation as part of a bipartisan panel of may- ors, she warned that aggressive U.S. Immi- gration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics were sowing fear and threatening Florida’s already-fragile healthcare system (where more than 25 percent of hospital workers are immigrants). “We are going to comply with the law, but we are not going to help beyond that,” Hig- gins said. “ICE and its tactics have been in my community for over a year...causing great fear and terror in our residents.” She has also criticized the Trump admin- istration’s decision to end Temporary Pro- tected Status (TPS) for Venezuelan and Haitian immigrants — two communities with deep roots and large populations in Miami. “Haiti is not safe, Venezuela is not safe,” Higgins told CBS News. “Our economy is at stake, and our humanity is at stake.” For a city shaped by exile, migration, and boom-and-bust politics, Higgins’ term is already becoming a test case: Can a Democrat with national ambitions govern Miami differently, and visibly, in an era defined by polarization? JEFF HAFLEY BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN Miami Dolphins’ fans have their eyes squarely on new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley. His road ahead is far from easy. Alongside new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, Hafley will attempt to turn around a franchise that hasn’t emerged victorious from a single playoff game since 2000 — the longest drought in the NFL. The 46-year-old New Jersey native is now the 12th Dolphins head coach in franchise history. “I believe great things are ahead for the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley leading the way,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said of Hafley’s hiring in a statement. “Jeff is an accomplished coach with a proven track record as a leader and motivator. He has tenacity and grit, while at the same time establishing trust with his players in order to get the most out of them. I am excited to see where Jeff leads us, alongside Jon-Eric Sullivan and our entire football operation, as we seek to return the Dolphins to sus- tained success.” Hafley takes over for Mike McDaniel, who initially had success at the helm of the Dol- phins, leading the team to the playoffs in his first two seasons. But after back-to-back los- ing seasons, Ross cited a need for “compre- hensive change” and opted to fire McDaniel after four seasons. “I love Mike and want to thank him for his hard work, commitment, and the energy he brought to our organization,” Ross said in a statement. “Mike is an incredibly creative football mind whose passion for the game and his players was evident every day. I wish him and his family the best moving forward.” Hafley served as the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator for the past two sea- sons. In 2024, his defense ranked fifth in total defense and in years per play, seventh in run defense, sixth in scoring defense, and tied for eighth in sacks. Despite an injury-ridden sea- son, the defense still finished in the top half of the league in total defense, yards allowed per carry, and passing defense. Before his time in Green Bay, Hafley was the head coach at Boston College for four years. Under his leadership, the team was bowl-eligible in three of the four seasons and, at one point, ranked third nationally in pass- ing defense. Before Boston College, Hafley served as co-defensive coordinator and sec- ondary coach at Ohio State in 2019. “I’ve always respected his football,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Hafley in 2024. “I love his demeanor. I love his passion for football, his passion for peo- ple. I think he is an unbelievable communi- cator. He’s got a great demeanor about him. He’s well-liked, but he’s demanding at the same time.” “He is a well-liked guy, just by the Eileen Higgins Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images News News P E O P L E TO W ATC H 2026 >> p6
