In an absolutely massive and quite exciting announcement posted to X, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced that the state had managed to work with federal law enforcement agents to develop a highway checkpoint strategy that led to the arrest of thousands upon thousands of illegal aliens in the state.
For reference, Gov. DeSantis has been at the forefront of state-level assistance of ICE in fighting against the illegal immigration issue, doing everything from the highway checkpoint move to creating the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility to detain and deport illegal aliens with haste and ease.
As such, the Florida governor has shown other red state leaders how they can cooperate with federal law enforcement to crack down on the rampant problem of illegal aliens, and help the federal agencies involved, such as ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, stretch strained resources to do more faster.
In any case, Gov. DeSantis began the post on X by noting that the massive highway arrest effort began in April, when Florida started working with ICE to carry out the largest joint operation in which ICE has ever engaged. He said, “In April 2025, Florida partnered with federal law enforcement in the largest joint immigration enforcement operation in ICE’s history: Operation Tidal Wave.”
Continuing, he noted that the operation has already been a roaring success, with over 10,000 illegal aliens being arrested just in Florida due to this operation alone. He said, “Today, I was proud to announce a new milestone in our joint efforts to combat illegal immigration and restore order in our communities: Florida law enforcement have arrested more than 10,400 illegal immigrants across the state. Florida leads—again!”
In another post on the operation and the matter of state-involved immigration enforcement, the governor explained that Florida is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on illegal immigration all over the state. He said, “Florida leads the nation in 287(g) agreements with DHS, allowing our state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in immigration enforcement in all 67 counties.”
Continuing, he referenced the same highway checkpoint strategy to note how successful and massive the operation has been in both arresting and deporting illegal aliens, saying, “Since Operation Tidal Wave launched eight months ago, Florida law enforcement agencies have arrested more than 10,400 illegal aliens and worked with federal partners to remove them from our state and country.”
"*" indicates required fields
Concluding the post, he again noted that this was the largest joint operation in ICE history and that such operations will continue as Florida continues fighting illegal immigration, saying, “This is the largest joint immigration enforcement operation in ICE’s history, and we’re proud that it will continue here in Florida.”
Watch Gov. DeSantis announce the operation’s success here:
In a post back in December, Gov. DeSantis explained how the Sunshine State is setting the standard for red states in other ways, saying, “Florida has set the national standard for responsible governance, and we have done so while breaking record after record in economic strength, tax relief, and educational achievement. That’s why Florida has gained over $1 trillion in lifetime adjusted gross income—more than any other state in the country—as 1.5 million Americans have voted with their feet and moved here in recent years.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video