Overview
- Operation Tidal Wave, a joint federal-state-local immigration effort, resulted in 1,120 arrests across Florida in less than a week, the largest single-state operation in ICE history.
- The campaign leveraged expanded 287(g) agreements, which deputize local and state officers to enforce federal immigration law, with Florida leading the nation in participation.
- Governor Ron DeSantis has requested federal approval to deputize Florida National Guard Judge Advocate Generals as immigration judges and expand detention facilities to expedite deportations.
- Arrests included individuals with final orders of removal, criminal convictions, and alleged gang affiliations, with detainees primarily from Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras.
- Civil rights advocates, including the ACLU of Florida, have criticized the operation as fostering racial profiling and creating fear among immigrant communities.