More than 1,100 arrested in 6-day Florida immigration sweep, officials say

More than 1,100 people have been arrested in Florida over the last week as part of a sweeping immigration operation involving state and federal law enforcement agents, Department of Homeland Security officials and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Thursday.

Federal agents worked with local sheriffs and members of Florida’s highway patrol, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and National Guard to apprehend people across the state, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Dinise.

Larry Keefe, who heads Florida’s new board of immigration enforcement, said the joint mission — dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave” — could be replicated in other states.

“Florida looks forward to being the bellwether, the blueprint, the prototype of how state and locals work with their federal partners to make things happen and get things done in all settings,” Keefe said at a news conference in Miramar in South Florida.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has criticized the operation as harmful for the state, calling it “racial profiling disguised as immigration enforcement.”

“Seeking asylum is not a crime, it’s a human right,” the organization posted on social media.

DeSantis said the state wants to do more to help the Trump administration, which has made immigration and deportations major priorities since President Donald Trump returned to office. Several of the administration’s actions have been met with court challenges.

The governor said he wants judge advocates in the Florida National Guard to serve as immigration judges and that he’ll seek permission from the federal government to set up new immigration detention centers.

“If we get the sign off from DHS, we can expand detention space very quickly in Florida,” DeSantis said. “When we have hurricanes, we end up setting up locations for tens of thousands of linemen. We do that very, very quickly. So we have the capacity to set it up, quickly.”

Linemen and trucks are typically stationed in large parking lots and fields around the state before a hurricane hits so crews can quickly work to restore electricity in a storm’s aftermath.