State law enforcement and ICE have arrested more than one thousand immigrants in Florida over the past month. ICE officials and Governor Ron DeSantis were touting the efforts at a press conference Thursday.
The collaboration, called Operation Tidal Wave, involved ICE officers and state law enforcement working together via 280 7G agreements. Ice Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said the operation was one of the first of its kind under the Trump administration.
“We are able to conduct over 1100 arrests and remove several violent gang members from the communities here in Florida. Operation Tidal Wave is truly a first of its kind operation utilizing 280 7g resources, integrating with the state and local law enforcement to assist in the day to day ice mission. While this may be the first 280 7g operation of its kind, thanks to the governor, it's not going to be the last,” she said.
During the press conference, Governor Ron DeSantis said the agreements mark a shift in the country’s attitude on immigration.
“I think when you're dealing with people, millions and millions of people here illegally. You see some of these folks who have huge, huge problems in their background, with their conduct, and really put our communities at risk. It's important that the laws enforce. It's important that those people are taken care of, but what it also does is sends the message going forward, United States of America is serious about enforcing its immigration laws,” he said.
Critics of the agreements, Florida Immigrant Coalition executive director Tessa Petit, have previously said the agreements erode trust in police in immigrant communities.
“When local police act like ICE, entire communities go silent. People stop calling 911, they stop reporting crimes, they pull their children out of school, they pull they’re children out of different programs,” she said.
During the presser, the governor also fielded questions about a federal judge’s decision to issue an injunction on a state law passed earlier this year that make it a misdemeanor to enter the state as an undocumented immigrant. The governor says he disagrees with that judge’s ruling.
“We actually feel confident that we'll ultimately be vindicated on that it should be a crime to enter the state of Florida illegally. We have police power to be able to do that that does not undercut or interfere with federal efforts,” he said.
Critics of the enforcement efforts and Florida’s new immigration law say they violate due process and will open the door for local and state law enforcement to racially profile residents.