In Florida, ICE arrests reached new highs this summer, mirroring a national trend as the Trump administration seeks to achieve its mass deportation goals.
While arrests have climbed steadily since President Donald Trump returned to office, this summer, the numbers shot up dramatically amid a quieter surge.
The Trump Administration has shifted away from the previous shows of force that took place in cities like Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Chicago. Instead, federal authorities are scaling back on large operations and relying more on local law enforcement agencies.
Florida, which is home to one of the nation's largest immigrant populations and some of the harshest immigration policies, saw around 29,000 arrests this year, placing it second only to Texas.
The arrests are through Aug. 6 of this year, the most recent data made available by the Deportation Data Project, which obtains the information through Freedom of Information Act requests.
Florida's summer surge saw, on average, more than 200 arrests per day, nearly double the rate compared to the earlier part of the year. And, more than half of those detained had no criminal charge or conviction.
The Trump Administration frequently says it is targeting the "worst of the worst," but data shows immigrants without a criminal record make up a growing share of arrests.
ICE does not publish the underlying charge or conviction associated with each arrest.
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However, independent analyses have found that a majority of those booked by ICE are not violent offenders.
A Cato Institute analysis of Oct. 2025 data that was leaked to the nonpartisan think tank, found 5% of people detained by ICE had violent convictions.
A New York Times analysis also found 7% of those arrested by ICE between Jan. and Oct. last year, had violent convictions.
Partnerships between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration agents are driving even more arrests.
State law requires state agencies and county sheriff's offices to sign 287(g) agreements, which deputizes officers to perform certain immigration tasks. Many local police departments have signed on as well.
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WUSF has covered multiple stories involving immigrants who were stopped initially by state or local officers for traffic violations then transferred to ICE custody. That includes a story about women struggling to support their family after their partners were detained or deported; a young Sarasota woman who chose voluntary departure to start a new life in Mexico; and a Hillsborough father who was beaten during a traffic stop before being detained.
For most, civil traffic violations were their most serious charge.
"It would be impossible for ICE to do their job without help from local law enforcement," said Joseph Nohava, an organizer with the grassroots group Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee.
Nohava said the heightened immigration enforcement has led to fear among immigrant communities. He said, many people won't leave their homes "unless they absolutely have to."
The group holds monthly "barrio walks" where volunteers go door-to-door to homes and businesses to distribute know-your-rights information and immigrant resources. Nohava said, sometimes, people will share their experiences with immigration enforcement.
"I don't think there's been a barrio walk that we've had recently in the last several months, where someone hasn't told us about either a friend, coworker [or] family member who has been taken by ICE," said Nohava.
