Joint Federal-State Immigration Operation in Florida Leads to 1,120 Arrests

Published MAY 2·Updated MAY 3

story

Above: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks by posters of people arrested in the Tidal Wave Operation, the largest-ever immigration operation in the state, during a press conference at the ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operation office in Miramar, Fla. on May 1, 2025. Image credit: Pedro Portal/Contributor/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The Spin

Republican narrative

Operation Tidal Wave demonstrates how effective immigration enforcement can be when federal and state authorities work together to remove dangerous criminals from U.S. communities. This operation sends a clear message that immigration laws will be enforced as the Trump administration adopts a law-and-order approach.

washingtontimes.com

Democratic narrative

Mass immigration operations like this lack transparency and often result in the detention of people with no criminal history. These sweeps can lead to civil rights violations, mistaken identities, and even wrongful detention of U.S. citizens, damaging trust in law enforcement and tearing families apart without addressing the root causes of immigration issues.

The Washington Post