DeSantis vows to take immigration arrests 'to the next level' in Florida

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Thursday to tout an operation that authorities say netted 1,120 immigration arrests in less than a week. The arrests were part of an interagency statewide effort called “Operation Tidal Wave” that included federal, state and local involvement. At a press conference announcing the arrests on Thursday in Miramar, DeSantis vowed that his state would continue to lead in immigration enforcement efforts, in line with priorities set by the administration of President Donald Trump. He said that state agencies such as the National Guard were “willing and able to take it to the next level,” including by expanding detention capacity, and even have National Guardsmen “serve as immigration judges” to speed processing of detained immigrants. Meanwhile, Larry Keefe, the Executive Director of Florida’s newly created State Board of Immigration Enforcement, said that the arrests of Operation Tidal Wave were a test run for a more expansive immigration crackdown in the state. “This is gonna be a sustained, persistent effort,” he said. AP Video shot by Daniel Kozin