Approximately 20,000 illegal aliens have been rounded up by Florida authorities in less than a year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference with members of his cabinet on Monday at ‘Deportation Depot,’ a state-run immigration detention facility at the Baker Correctional Institution outside of Jacksonville.
In April, the state of Florida partnered with federal authorities to launch Operation Tidal Wave, which relies partly on enforcement at highway checkpoints.
More than 10,000 illegals have been busted during the operation to date, the majority of whom have criminal records in the U.S.
“Of those, 63% had criminal arrests or convictions, including violent offenders and sex offenders,” Gov. DeSantis stated.
“Although, you don’t have to have committed a crime to be subject to immigration enforcement. If you have come illegally, that is the offense, and so, of course people can enforce the law.”
BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis announces that "Operation Tidal Wave" has surpassed 10,000 arrests of illegal aliens in Florida
63% of those arrested under the state-led operation had prior criminal records or convictions, including violent and sex offenses. Florida remains the ONLY… pic.twitter.com/1AlU29fTzk
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 5, 2026
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier revealed that many of the illegals being apprehended are child predators.
“Rest assured, our Statewide Prosecutors will ensure these criminals do serious time behind bars before we send them back to where they came from,” AG Uthmeier stated.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said hundreds of stolen cargo trucks and trailers have been recovered at checkpoints, which are being established at key points along the state’s northern border.
The highway checkpoints we created last year in combination with Florida law enforcement’s great work have led to over 10,000 arrests, with hundreds of those being captured at our FDACS interdiction stations. Criminal illegals have been put on notice! https://t.co/YayzV18diM
— Wilton Simpson (@WiltonSimpson) January 6, 2026
In addition to apprehensions made during Operation Tidal Wave, state and local law enforcement have arrested nearly 10,000 more illegal aliens since early 2025.
“If you look at the other efforts of the counties combined, we’re close to 20,000 arrests that have occurred just in the last year,” DeSantis explained.
Governor DeSantis Announces Milestone in Combating Illegal Immigration https://t.co/HZAJPr4Zll
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 5, 2026
Under DeSantis, law enforcement agencies across Florida have signed at least 327 agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the 287(g) program — more than 40 other U.S. states and territories combined.
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