Suncoast Searchlight

09/29/2025

“But the rights that non-citizens lose can also be the rights that U.S. citizens lose," an attorney told Suncoast Searchlight about the tactics employed by ICE in collaboration with local law enforcement.

As the federal government mines local jails for undocumented people, immigrants increasingly face the reality that paying a bond does not guarantee their freedom. Instead of walking free, many who post bail are held beyond their scheduled release and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcemen...

09/29/2025

The move comes on the heels of a joint investigation by Suncoast Searchlight and Bradenton Herald in July that revealed how these so-called “adult arcades” have evaded area law enforcement for years

Manatee County soon will consider a plan to crack down on the illegal strip-mall casinos that have flourished in plain sight in defiance of a state ban — and to the frustration of local law enforcement. Commissioner Tal Siddique, after meeting with sheriff’s office officials and the county attor...

09/29/2025

We’re launching a new community event series — The Searchlight Series — in partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation to bring people together for conversations about journalism and the issues that shape our lives on the Suncoast. Our first guest: Dean Baquet, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and former executive editor of The New York Times.

Register now to save your seat: https://shorturl.at/xl8Qa

09/24/2025

Want to stand up for local journalism? We’re looking for volunteers to help with community events and other projects that keep our First Amendment strong. Sign up at shorturl.at/Ms0nH

09/24/2025

ICYMI — In Florida, the jail-to-deportation pipeline is one of the main engines of Trump’s mass-deportation push. Routine arrests, even for minor charges, are a direct gateway into ICE custody.

Leer en español aquí. In the early morning hours on July 12, Oscar Romero Santos drove his red Ram truck toward the Bradenton home he shared with his wife. When he turned onto his block, a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy followed. As Romero Santos pulled into the driveway, the deputy flashed his

09/24/2025

We are so happy to welcome Samantha Ramlall to the team!

Suncoast Searchlight, the nonprofit newsroom launched earlier this year to produce in-depth journalism for and about Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties, has taken a major step forward with the hiring of its first development director. Samantha Ramlall joined the organization on Monday, bringing e...

09/19/2025

We are proud to publish this important story in both English and Spanish / Estamos orgullosos de publicar esta importante historia tanto en inglés como en español.

A Bradenton family paid bond believing it would free their husband/father, only to see him taken by ICE from a local jail and deported — a clear example of how Florida’s jail system is fueling deportations even in cases of minor offenses.

Leer en español aquí. In the early morning hours on July 12, Oscar Romero Santos drove his red Ram truck toward the Bradenton home he shared with his wife. When he turned onto his block, a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy followed. As Romero Santos pulled into the driveway, the deputy flashed his

09/05/2025

Poynter spotlighted our stormwater reporting 🙌

Poynter interviewed Suncoast Searchlight reporter Derek Gilliam about his recent stormwater investigation with Florida Center for Government Accountability. “You should be addressing the issues that your community finds important,” Gilliam said. “And I don’t think there was an issue in Sarasota that the community cared more about than this.”

From flood control to insurance costs, a weather beat reporter can connect the dots between daily forecasts and local accountability

09/05/2025

“Enough is enough,” said Tom Knight, Sarasota County Commissioner “The overtaxation of our residents has got to end and that includes their stormwater fees.” - Reporting by Suncoast Searchlight & Florida Center for Government Accountability

Sarasota County administrators are stiff-arming recommendations from a stormwater consultant and plan to push another rate hike on residents despite a new audit showing the utility could have more than $70 million over the next five years without raising rates. Just two years after a substantial inc...

09/05/2025

Greg Cruz' personal history & visibility made him inseparable from SOP. https://shorturl.at/uD7Gi

09/05/2025

Nathan Allen, who served as Corcoran’s VP of strategy and special projects, said his experience left him disillusioned and convinced that the college’s future is not secure under the current administration or state control.

A former senior member of New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran’s administration is leading a push to privatize the institution — a dramatic turn for a conservative insider once tapped to help carry out Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ideological overhaul of the Sarasota-based school. Nathan Al...

08/29/2025

Commissioners will explore a pared-down option for reducing jail overcrowding: a $401 million plan that would create 725 beds. But by 2042, the jail would be full again.

For years, Sarasota County has struggled with a problem it has yet to solve — a jail built for 773 inmates that now holds well over a thousand. Hallways double as sleeping quarters. Inspections flag chronic overcrowding. And every proposed fix has come with a price tag large enough to give taxpaye...