Photo: Douglas Rissing / iStock / Getty Images
Wildwood, FL - Federal authorities carried out a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Wildwood resulting in the arrest of more than two dozen individuals allegedly working at construction sites without legal documentation.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the operation took place on Tuesday in Wildwood, a community just south of The Villages and about an hour northwest of Orlando.
According to officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa, those arrested during the sweep were from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Several of the individuals had allegedly been deported in the past and re-entered the U.S. illegally.
A short video posted by HSI Tampa on X (formerly Twitter) showed agents walking through a construction site, but did not display the actual arrests.
In their statement, HSI described the effort as part of a broader investigation into whether regional construction companies are knowingly hiring undocumented laborers.
At this time, federal authorities have not released the exact number of arrests or any formal charges filed against those detained.
It’s also unclear whether other sites in Florida were included in the operation.
This enforcement action follows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent announcement that over 100 Florida Highway Patrol officers have been deputized as U.S. Marshals, allowing them to conduct immigration enforcement activities independently.
Worksite enforcement has been a focus of immigration authorities under multiple administrations.
In Florida, several state agencies participate in 287(g) agreements, which authorize them to collaborate with federal immigration officers in identifying and detaining undocumented individuals.