State and federal authorities arrested 1,120 immigrants lacking permanent legal status during a weeklong joint operation in Florida, officials said.
The statewide effort, dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” took place April 21-26, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Hundreds of individuals from Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras were taken into custody, and many were listed as alleged members of foreign gangs, officials said.
Those arrested included 378 criminal immigrants with final orders of removal issued by an immigration judge, they noted, adding that others are in ICE custody awaiting due process before an immigration judge or pending travel arrangements for removal.
“Florida is proud to work closely with the Trump administration and help deliver on the 2024 mandate from America that our borders be secured and our immigration laws be followed. We will continue to engage in broad interior enforcement efforts,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife Commission, National Guard and Division of Emergency Management personnel were involved in the operation, DeSantis said.
Florida officials partnered with ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service also helped with the sting operation, which the Trump administration said was authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
“Last week’s operational success of arresting more than 1,100 criminal illegal aliens was truly a collaborative whole-of-government effort by our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in Florida,” ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said.
Officials touted their operation promoting clips of the immigrants’ arrests.
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