ICE in Florida: Over 750 illegal immigrants arrested during ‘Operation Tidal Wave’

FLORIDA – Efforts in Florida to enforce President Donald Trump’s immigration policy reached new heights last week as Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it arrested nearly 800 illegal immigrants as part of a “massive, multi-agency, immigration enforcement crackdown.”

The people targeted were located in major counties and cities across the state, including Jacksonville, according to reports.

RELATED: UNF joins other Florida university police forces to enter agreement with ICE

Dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” ICE said the “first-of-its-kind partnership” was conducted last week, and the agency reached the triple-digit number of arrests in just four days.

The announcement was met with applause from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“Florida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations!” the governor said on X. “Operation Tidal Wave is an example of FL and DHS partnering to deliver big results on immigration enforcement and deportations.”

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also gave the announcement her stamp of approval, saying that it serves as a warning to all “criminal illegal aliens.”

“We’re coming for you. @DHSgov, @ICEgov, and our state partners will hunt you down, arrest and deport you. That’s a promise," Noem said.

The effort, which is led by the Department of Homeland Security, was made possible through the 287(g) program, an initiative that authorizes state and local law enforcement officers to perform “specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”

The Miami Herald said it received a copy of plans for “Operation Tidal Wave,” and learned that the endeavor targeted individuals in major Florida counties like Miami-Dade and Broward, along with other popular cities like Orlando, Tampa, and Tallahassee.

Additionally, the media outlet said that since Trump began his second term, Florida leads the country in the number of law enforcement agencies that have signed 287(g) agreements, with 230.

ICE has not released any additional information about those who were arrested or detained, nor has the federal government released any detailed explanation for how targets were chosen.

The operation is the latest example of how President Trump aims to direct the Department of Homeland Security to handle immigration enforcement in his second term.

Speaking to NBC News, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on April 15 that nationally, deportations had exceeded 117,000 in “just the first 70 days” and that number was “just the beginning.”

“These deportations don’t even include the number of illegal aliens who have self-deported. Illegal aliens are hearing Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s message loud and clear: leave now or face the consequences. This includes a fine of $998 per day for every day that the illegal alien overstayed their final deportation order, arrest, detainment and deportation," McLaughlin said.

It also aligns with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s comments that the Trump administration wants to deport more than 1 million undocumented immigrants annually, a goal that was first reported by The Washington Post.