Nearly 800 Arrested In Florida During Major Immigration Enforcement Operation

 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Saturday that nearly 800 individuals were arrested across Florida over a four-day period during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation.

ICE’s Miami office described the sweep as a “highly successful” and “first-of-its-kind partnership” between federal and state agencies.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the effort, calling it “an example of Florida and the Department of Homeland Security partnering to deliver big results on immigration enforcement and deportations,” according to a statement posted on social media. He added that “Florida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations.”

The surge in arrests comes as President Donald Trump continues to intensify federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, with the Department of Justice targeting state and local officials who do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

DeSantis and other Florida leaders have pushed for widespread adoption of agreements under the 287(g) Program, which allows local law enforcement agencies to work alongside ICE officers after receiving training. Florida law now mandates cooperation, and officials who refuse face removal from office.

State agencies, including the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida State Guard, Florida Department of Agricultural Law Enforcement, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have signed formal cooperation agreements with ICE. In total, more than 200 state, county, and municipal agencies across Florida have entered into such agreements, with more than 70 additional agreements pending.

Even campus police departments at several Florida universities have recently signed onto these agreements, raising concerns among international students amid the Trump administration’s broader visa revocation efforts.

Mounting Pressure on Local Officials

In some cases, local leaders agreed to cooperate under protest. Earlier this month, the city council of Doral — home to the largest Venezuelan immigrant population in the U.S. — unanimously approved an ICE collaboration agreement but expressed reluctance.

“We’re being mandated by the state to take certain actions and if we don’t, we’re being threatened with criminal penalties,” said City Attorney Lorenzo Cobiella. “Passing this is painful for all of us. We’re all immigrants … we all have families that derive from different places where, right now, there’s great suffering.”

Similarly, Fort Myers city officials initially voted against signing an ICE collaboration agreement but reversed course after receiving a letter from the state attorney general warning that refusal could result in removal from office. Attorney General James Uthmeier called their initial vote a “serious and direct violation” of Florida’s law banning sanctuary cities.

Federal Crackdown on Non-Cooperation

The Department of Justice has emphasized that it will take action against local officials who fail to assist federal authorities on immigration issues.

Last week, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by the FBI and charged in federal court for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid detention. Her attorney stated that Judge Dugan “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest,” arguing it was not necessary for public safety.

In New Mexico, former magistrate judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were accused of tampering with evidence connected to the arrest of Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national suspected of being affiliated with the gang Tren de Aragua. Ortega-Lopez had been previously charged with unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The enforcement crackdown marks a new phase of aggressive immigration policing, as Florida and the federal government tighten cooperation in a rapidly evolving political climate.