A major immigration crackdown shook Florida this week as ICE officers and local police arrested nearly 800 immigrants in just four days, according to new data shared with *The New York Times*. The sweep, which began Monday, focused on undocumented immigrants with final deportation orders but ended up pulling in hundreds more.
More than 275 people arrested were specifically flagged for removal after skipping immigration court or ignoring deportation orders. Others were caught during “collateral arrests,” where agents detain additional undocumented individuals found nearby during operations.
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The arrests mark a major step in the Trump administration’s push to speed up deportations, a campaign that has struggled to meet internal targets. Unlike previous ICE actions, this latest effort was carried out through a formal agreement with Florida state officials, known as a 287(g) partnership, allowing local law enforcement to directly assist federal agents.
Since taking office, President Trump has increasingly pressured local police to join immigration enforcement efforts. Operations like this one require heavy manpower, leading the administration to pull in officers from several agencies to boost numbers.
Court records show that in 2024 alone, about 70% of deportation orders were issued to people who didn’t show up for their hearings, speeding up the process for ICE to remove them. However, the journey to deportation typically involves long waits, legal hurdles, and multiple court dates.
As raids ramp up, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivered a stark warning to undocumented immigrants earlier this week: “President Trump and I have a clear message to those in our country illegally: LEAVE NOW,” she said. “If you do not self-deport, we will hunt you down, arrest you and deport you.”
