DeSantis Details 'Operation Tidal Wave' Crackdown on Illegal Immigration in Florida

Florida's Response to Border Policies

• 🚨 Governor DeSantis highlights Florida's proactive stance against illegal immigration, necessitated by federal policies that he states effectively 'opened the border'.
• 🌊 Operation Vigilance Sentry was deployed to patrol Florida's coast, leading to over 17,000 repatriations and removal of nearly 500 vessels.

Enhancing Immigration Enforcement Agreements

• 🤝 Florida has pursued 287G agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to empower state agencies in immigration enforcement.
• 👮 Agencies like the Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Fish and Wildlife have signed these agreements, with about half of the nation's 500 such agreements being in Florida.
• 💼 Regulatory agencies, including the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Florida Gaming Control Commission, are also deputizing officers to identify individuals in the country illegally during routine inspections.

Legislative Mandates and Operation Tidal Wave

• 🏛️ A special session of the Florida legislature led to a mandate requiring all state and local agencies to participate in immigration enforcement efforts, banning sanctuary cities.
• 💥 Operation Tidal Wave is described as the largest immigration enforcement operation in the country, resulting in the arrest of over 1,000 illegal aliens across Florida.
• ⚠️ Many arrested individuals had prior deportation orders or had been previously alerted by the Biden administration, with some having significant criminal backgrounds.

Future Federal Cooperation and Enforcement

• 🚀 Florida has submitted plans to DHS to expand capabilities from apprehension to detention and potentially utilize National Guard members as immigration judges.
• ⚖️ The state prioritizes identifying and returning individuals with final orders of removal, emphasizing that many have already had extensive due process.
• 🌟 DeSantis views Operation Tidal Wave as just the beginning, expressing confidence that Florida will continue to lead in immigration enforcement and that the best is yet to come.