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Florida law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with ICE, have announced that roughly 800 illegal immigrants were arrested during a four-day operation.
Some shit you should know before you read: When President Trump returned to the Oval Office, he directed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to aggressively prioritize the arrest and removal of criminal illegal immigrants, intensifying enforcement efforts nationwide. Under his renewed directives, ICE has been targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds, including gang members, convicted felons, and those with outstanding deportation orders, while also stepping up operations at the southern border. Trump ordered a significant surge in border enforcement, resulting in a sharp decline in illegal crossings, according to federal data. However, his moves have faced sharp criticism from civil rights groups and legal advocates, who argue that many illegal immigrants are being deported without receiving proper due process due to Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. Trump has defended the strategy, saying that it is not feasible to individually adjudicate every case given the overwhelming number of illegal immigrants in the country.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, ICE and Florida law enforcement revealed the results of “Operation Tidal Wave,” a large-scale immigration enforcement action that led to nearly 800 arrests. The operation specifically targeted individuals considered public safety threats, including convicted criminals, gang members, and those with outstanding final orders of removal. According to ICE, among those arrested were a Colombian national convicted of homicide, alleged members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs, and a Russian national wanted for vehicular manslaughter under an Interpol Red Notice.
Local law enforcement agencies were able to directly participate through ICE’s 287(g) program, a federal agreement that deputizes local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement duties. This partnership, which is not typical in many parts of the country, enabled Florida’s state troopers, county sheriffs, and city police to work alongside ICE agents in identifying and apprehending undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said, “State troopers, local police officers, county sheriffs — they’re our eyes and ears. They’re able to identify those public safety threats for us during their regular duties. This is one of the first large-scale missions we’ve done like this ever.”
Madison Sheahan, ICE Deputy Director, noted, “These historic partnerships are working. We’re seeing incredible success, and we’re only just beginning.” ICE also praised the operation as “highly successful.”
This all comes as immigration advocates and civil rights groups are voicing strong criticism over Operation Tidal Wave, warning that the aggressive tactics could lead to widespread civil rights violations and the unjust separation of families. Critics argue that the scale of the operation increases the likelihood of so-called “collateral arrests,” where illegal immigrants not originally targeted are swept up and detained.
