The City of Miami released a video to announce their “breaking up” with spring break. In the past few years, South Miami Beach has always been a chosen destination for college students to enjoy their week off, but it seems last year might’ve been the city’s crossroads. According to WUSF.org, there were shootings with two resulting in death — nearly 500 young adults were taken into police custody, and a large amount of guns were confiscated in 2023.

Authorities shared that there will be a strict set of guidelines implemented to help them keep the region under control, theGrio reported. The rules that will be enforced on visitors include parking limitations, curfews, mandatory beach closures, security checkpoints near the beach for bag searches and DUI testing.

Local business owners who thrive during spring break feel their pockets will be heavily affected during an annual time when there’s an influx of city-goers.

“I believe we need to create something big, another big event in March because March has fallen off the edge of the cliff,” David Wallack, owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe, per theGrio.

In addition, civil rights activists are side-eyeing the decision to impose emergency procedures ahead of any harmful or law-breaking outbreaks since Black tourism has evolved in the last couple of decades, especially during Memorial Day weekend due to Urban Beach Week that began in 2001, which has received some complaints throughout the years.

“Everybody loves this idea that they are free from their government intruding on them,” Stephen Hunter Johnson, a lawyer and member of Miami-Dade’s Black Affairs Advisory Board, told theGrio. “But amazingly, if the government intrudes on Black people, everyone’s fine with it.”

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner denies the claims that race played an integral role in the decision to change how they navigate spring break.

“I have a moral obligation to keep people safe, and right now, it is not safe,” he said.

Meiner went on to say that the actions of non-residents have gone overboard. Despite police officers’ increased presence along the popular Ocean Drive area around Spring Break, he says it isn’t enough since Miami Beach is somewhat secluded from the rest of the city. Therefore, his main focus is to protect Florida residents and businesses from suffering.

“The status quo and what we’ve seen in the last few years is just not acceptable, not tolerable,” Meiner said.