More than 500 state agencies and police departments are part of a list of institutions that have aligned themselves with President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies to deport undocumented immigrants in the country in large numbers. It is said that just under half of these agencies are based in the state of Florida.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted this cooperation this Thursday in a meeting with representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to evaluate the achievements of Operation Tidal Wave, which led to the arrest of 1.120 immigrants between April 21 and 26, and is considered, in his opinion, an unprecedented operation.
As a result of the investigation into these individuals, authorities reported that 63% of the inmates have criminal records. They also highlighted that this group includes members of notorious international terrorist organizations such as “El Tren de Aragua,” Sur 13, the 18th Street Gang, the Brown Pride Aztecas, Barrio Azteca, and MS-13.
Previously, officials had reported that an interagency collaboration led to the arrest of 800 migrants in less than a week. According to the released statistics, the number of people arrested and their nationalities are as follows:
- 437 from Guatemala
- 280 from Mexico
- 153 of Honduras
- 48 from Venezuela
- 24 of El Salvador
- 178 from other countries.
Local law enforcement agencies have the authority to detain and arrest migrants who violate immigration regulations, according to certain agreements. In December, ICE had 135 agreements in 21 states. Currently, this number has increased to 506 in 38 states, with 74 more agencies awaiting authorization.
With the implementation of immigration measures, the U.S. administration, led by Donald Trump, and the support of local and state agencies, continues to gain ground in its fight against those who restrict support for immigration agencies.
Earlier this week, the Republican president issued an executive order requiring the release of the list of sanctuary jurisdictions and warned of possible criminal prosecution against state and local officials who interfere with federal regulations.
Those who oppose local governments’ involvement in the implementation of immigration laws argue that this action violates a constitutional provision that assigns such responsibility to national, not local, authorities.
Immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, Katie Blankenship, stated that local officials are ill-equipped to address immigration issues fairly. “Methods are being found to terrorize communities,” she added.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has nearly 6,000 deportation officers, is seeking support to help it meet Trump’s goal of removing a large portion of the country’s estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is not only a member of Trump’s party but also supports his immigration policies, has 76 registered agreements, making the state the second-largest, one of which was signed on April 10 with the National Guard. He also has another agreement with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to carry out arrests at the border.
On the other hand, North Carolina and Georgia are on Trump’s side, but neither state is at the same level as Florida, where agencies from all 67 counties have joined forces in this cooperation. However, several participating agencies, such as the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Department of Lottery, have little involvement in immigration laws.
No such agreement was formalized under former President Joe Biden’s administration. Several of the recent agreements follow a “task force pattern” in which police arrest immigrants on the streets and in their communities, in contrast to the “correctional institution enforcement model,” where ICE only apprehends individuals held in state or local correctional facilities.
According to Florida authorities, many local organizations are still waiting for training offered by the federal government. Meanwhile, recent arrests by ICE, which the organization has dubbed “Operation Tsunami,” demonstrate how their capabilities can be expanded at the state and local levels.
Bill Smith, president of the Florida Police Benevolent Association’s FHP chapter, confirmed that approximately 80 Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers were actively involved in various raids in Tallahassee and Orlando, as well as in counties such as Broward and Miami-Dade. However, an FHP spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities focused their attention on individuals who already had deportation orders, and also arrested those with outstanding warrants for prior offenses, such as drunk driving or driving without a license, Smith said. “Florida is leading the nation in actively cooperating with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement and removal operations!” the Florida governor said after an ICE statement about these arrests over the weekend.
Several immigrant advocates have highlighted that most of the arrests were carried out by local agents and state patrols, rather than ICE. The detainees were caught during traffic stops or at the end of their work shift. According to advocates, some of them had no criminal record, had applied for asylum, or had work permits.
According to Jessica Ramírez, general coordinator of the Florida Farmworkers Association, many of the cases involved men, and in some cases, ICE officers called their homes to arrest them. “People are extremely afraid to go out and drive, afraid of the police. The recommendation is to drive carefully, follow the rules, and don’t give the police a reason to stop them,” Jessica warned.
A 25-year-old woman who calls herself China said that her partner, Fernando, the father of her three-month-old baby, was detained Friday morning while traveling with three other immigrants to his construction job, and that she has not lost contact with him since.
“Honey, the police caught us,” was the last thing Chica heard from her 20-year-old boyfriend after he was arrested around 7:47 a.m. that Friday. The young woman said she had a pending asylum application and a work permit. Authorities asked the driver of the car to present his license, but he didn’t have one. The officers proceeded to arrest the four passengers, including Fernando, who had arrived in the United States only in 2020.
“I’m very worried. I can’t believe they caught him. I’m afraid they’ll deport him and I’ll be left here without anyone’s help,” said China, who is now considering returning to Guatemala.
Polk County Sheriff Graddy Judd, who is in Florida, called the operation a “drop in the bucket” and lamented the federal government’s inability to make arrests at what he called a significantly higher level.
“I think the focus is on those ready to be deported because there isn’t enough space to accommodate so many people. We want to work with them. However, this is a federal government system and procedure. And this isn’t evolving quickly,” the official emphasized.
1,120 down, 1.12M to go.