SANDERSON, Fla. — Florida’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategy is back in the spotlight. That’s as Gov. Ron DeSantis and fellow Republicans tout what they call historic results— and Democrats warn the effort relies on unchecked executive power, costly detention facilities, and limited oversight.
Flanked by the rest of the Florida Cabinet, DeSantis returned Monday to Baker Correctional Institution, home to the state’s “Deportation Depot,” to highlight Florida’s partnership with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.
“There's no other state that has been able to do anything approaching what the state of Florida has been able to do,” DeSantis said.
WATCH: DeSantis touts Florida immigration arrests as Democrats warn of unchecked power
According to the governor, Florida’s Operation Tidal Wave, launched last year, has led to more than 10,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants. State officials say roughly 63% of those arrested had prior criminal records, meaning 37% did not.
“These are real metrics. This is real progress, and I think you're going to see the momentum continue going forward,” DeSantis said.
When local law enforcement operations are included, the administration says the total number of immigration-related arrests statewide in 2025 climbs to nearly 20,000. Many detainees are processed through one of Florida’s two state-supported detention sites, Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades or the Baker facility in North Florida.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia framed the enforcement effort as a deterrent.
“Illegal immigrants, especially those who are coming to the Florida to commit crimes, need to think twice about coming into this country and into the state, because we take this stuff seriously,” Ingoglia said.
Democrats push back on emergency powers, costs
Democrats have argued the enforcement push has come at a steep price, both financially and constitutionally.
At a December 3 news conference, Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman accused DeSantis of abusing executive authority by repeatedly extending a state of emergency on immigration, nearly 20 times since 2023.
“The governor has made a mockery of the emergency powers granted to him by the Florida constitution,” Berman said.
Democrats say the ongoing emergency order has allowed the administration to suspend more than two dozen laws, issue no-bid contracts, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars on detention facilities with limited transparency.
In response, Democratic lawmakers have filed a slate of bills aimed at ending the current emergency order, limiting how long future emergencies can last, and creating a public database tracking immigration detainees.
“They will never end this immigration state of emergency on their own. We must exercise our oversight authority,” said Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith.
Concerns over new detention sites
DeSantis said at least two additional detention facilities are under consideration, one in the Florida Panhandle and another in South Florida, pending federal approval.
But civil rights advocates and immigration attorneys warn that expanding the system could repeat problems they say already exist, including concerns over due process and access to medical care.
Immigration attorney Hector Díaz described one case involving a pregnant detainee.
“I had one client that went in, and she was pregnant. We made a request to let her go, because obviously she's not going to get any prenatal care there, and that was summarily denied. She ended up having a miscarriage, and even after that, they would not grant her parole,” Díaz said.
Republicans, however, show no sign of slowing down, arguing the enforcement model works and that the numbers after a year prove it.
Democratic leaders acknowledge their proposals face long odds in a GOP-controlled Legislature. They say pressure is building, even among some Republicans, to restore greater legislative oversight.
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