During a significant party gathering on Saturday, June 27, Florida Republicans heard leaders address immigration, voting laws, and US elections. Several of these pronouncements were either incorrect or omitted crucial context. This analysis examines Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia’s assertion that Florida leads the nation in apprehending and deporting undocumented immigrants.
Claim: Florida is the top state for arresting and deporting criminal immigrants.
At the 2026 Sunshine State Showdown, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia highlighted the state’s immigration enforcement initiatives to Republican attendees. He asserted that Florida is "No 1 in arresting and deporting criminal aliens in our communities," presenting this as evidence of the state’s stringent stance on illegal immigration, and emphasized Florida’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities.
According to data compiled by The Associated Press from the University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project, authorities apprehended nearly 39,000 immigrants in Florida between January 20, 2025, and March 11, 2026.
Fact Check: Blaise Ingoglia’s claim is inaccurate.
While Florida is among the leading states for immigration arrests, it does not hold the top position. Analysis of data from the Deportation Data Project by The Associated Press indicates that Texas leads the country in arrests. Furthermore, there is no comparable data confirming Florida’s No. 1 ranking in deportations.
Through Operation Tidal Wave, a joint effort between Florida law enforcement agencies and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), over 10,400 undocumented immigrants were apprehended in Florida in 2025, according to state records.
Governor Ron DeSantis announced in January that an additional 9,600 arrests were made through 287(g) agreements, which enable state and local law enforcement to assist with specific federal immigration enforcement tasks. Florida has the highest number of participating agencies nationwide, with 347.
However, an examination by the Miami Herald revealed that over 4,800 of the approximately 20,000 individuals arrested were charged solely with immigration violations, without any criminal charges or convictions. Approximately a quarter of those arrested had prior criminal convictions, while many others faced pending charges, including nonviolent offenses.
Florida has recorded the highest number of ICE immigration arrests nationally so far in 2026. The New York Times reported that the ICE field office in Miami, which oversees Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, carried out 9,880 arrests between December 19, 2025, and March 10, 2026, averaging about 120 arrests daily.