Florida Intensifies Immigration Crackdown with Support from Local Agencies

A Florida Fish and Wildlife officer approached a Guatemalan couple walking their dog in Bonita Springs, an affluent area along the Gulf Coast, on a March afternoon. The officer asked for the husband’s identification and directed them towards the park exit. Once there, the officer arrested the husband on a false charge, according to the wife, who spoke to The Associated Press under conditions of anonymity to protect her and her husband’s pending asylum cases.

“He told us he was issuing a ticket because the dog had bitten him, but that wasn’t true as he never got out of his car,” she said. “He made calls and arrested him, waiting 40 minutes for federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to arrive.”

The incident reflects a broader pattern in Florida, distinct from Democratic-led states where there’s considerable resistance to Trump’s immigration crackdown in sanctuary cities. Here, 347 agencies, including police, sheriffs, the National Guard, and Highway Patrol, participate in immigration law enforcement, leading to a surge in arrests.

From Jan. 20, 2025, during President Donald Trump’s second term, to March 11, 2026, nearly 39,000 immigrants were arrested in Florida. In comparison, there were 11,088 arrests during the same period of the preceding administration. Florida recorded an average of 93 daily arrests, second only to Texas. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis supports collaborations with ICE, authorizing state and local agencies to interrogate and detain immigrants through 287(g) agreements.

Immigration attorney Vilerka Bilbao, representing 23 clients detained by local police, confirmed a pattern of pretextual vehicle stops leading to detentions. An example includes a father and son detained by Lee County deputies on Feb. 15, for supposedly expired license plates, despite validity until March 25. The family, fearing for their safety, requested anonymity.

DHS claims the father and son had crossed the border illegally in 2017, receiving a final removal order in 2019. The man walking his dog was reportedly arrested due to two final removal orders.

Challenges to Transparency and Sunshine Law

In these cases, Florida agencies initiating stops refused to provide arrest reports or body camera footage, citing ICE protocol. ICE and DHS declined such requests, labeling the material as law enforcement-sensitive. ICE’s directive to Florida partners clarifies that information under the agreements is controlled by ICE.

This directive may conflict with Florida’s Sunshine Law, which presumes public access to records unless protected. The state legislature has permitted exclusions recently.

Florida isn’t alone in this initiative. While it leads by opening detention centers like “Alligator Alcatraz,” participation in the 287(g) program has increased nationwide. Before Trump’s second term, 135 agreements existed across 20 states; now there are over 1,700 agreements in 41 states and territories, spurred by DHS financial incentives for participating agencies.