FHP arrests 200+ in Panhandle as agency enters ‘new chapter’

(PANHANDLE) Florida Highway Patrol has arrested more than 200 undocumented migrants across the Panhandle during a multi-agency immigration operation that began in August 2025 and is still active, state officials said on August 22, 2025 in Panama City. The sweep, coordinated by FHP with federal and state partners, spanned Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa, Holmes, Bay, Washington, and Jackson counties. Leaders said the final count is expected to rise as teams continue work through the end of August.

Governor Ron DeSantis, joined by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner, FHP Col. Gary Howze, and State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe, called the Panhandle push a “new chapter” in Florida’s state-level role. “This operation sends a clear and uncompromising message,” DeSantis said, praising a deep partnership with federal agencies under the current enforcement posture encouraged by President Trump.

The operation deployed 45 FHP troopers and 20 federal personnel, who worked alongside local officers to identify people suspected of being in the country unlawfully. According to the state, arrests include people with criminal records, fugitives, repeat immigration violators, and those who missed court dates or reentered after deportation. Officials said the focus has been on public safety risks and on those already in the criminal justice system.

Policy framework and legal authority

Florida’s push rests on new Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed in early 2025 under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These agreements give state agencies—including FHP, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Florida State Guard, and the Florida Department of Agricultural Law Enforcement—authority to perform certain federal immigration functions when trained and supervised by ICE.

Under the MOAs, state agents can:
– Interrogate, arrest, and detain suspected undocumented migrants
– Serve and execute warrants for immigration violations
– Process, fingerprint, and photograph detainees for ICE review
– Initiate and expedite deportations of criminal aliens before release from custody

ICE provides training and federal oversight for these duties. Florida officials say the agreements allow faster handoffs to federal custody, fewer releases from local jails, and closer daily coordination between state and federal teams. The program structure is explained on ICE’s official 287(g) page: https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g.

State leaders highlighted the roles of FLHSMV and FHP in planning and logistics, while ICE and federal partners supervise legal standards and procedures. Keefe, who leads the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, said the framework lets state officers support federal immigration law while keeping cases within federal review channels. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the Panhandle surge reflects Florida’s 2024–2025 expansion of 287(g) partnerships and shows how those agreements now shape day-to-day enforcement.

Lt. Gov. Collins pointed to recent high-profile cases to show why the state is leaning in. He said he personally oversaw extradition procedures in the case of Harjinder Singh, a semitruck driver who entered the United States illegally and was involved in a fatal crash, underscoring Florida’s goal of moving criminal cases and removals without delay.

The Trump administration has promoted state-federal partnerships of this kind, and Florida’s recent steps put it among the most active states in this area. State leaders say the Panhandle results show how shared authority can move cases faster from arrest to federal processing.

To date, teams have concentrated resources along high-traffic corridors and in areas where local agencies flagged repeat offenders with prior removal orders. The FHP troopers worked side by side with federal officers to confirm identities, document immigration histories, and move eligible cases to ICE.

How the operation works on the ground

Officials described a step-by-step process designed to push cases into federal review quickly:

1. Identification
   Troopers and agents identify suspected undocumented migrants during traffic stops, criminal probes, or targeted field operations.

2. Interrogation and Detention
   Officers question suspects about status and history; those found in violation are detained.

3. Processing
   Detainees are fingerprinted, photographed, and interviewed. Officers prepare evidence and affidavits for ICE supervisory review.

4. Transfer and Deportation
   Eligible cases move to ICE custody for removal proceedings or deportation.

5. Legal Review
   Cases with criminal charges, prior deportations, or missed court dates are placed at the front of the line for faster action.

State officials said priority cases include people with warrants, criminal convictions, or repeat immigration offenses. Teams also handle those who failed to appear in court after release. The goal is to stop “catch-and-release” cycles by moving cases to federal custody as soon as the legal standard is met.

Local sheriffs and police departments have supported the Panhandle operation, according to the state, by sharing jail information, prior case files, and current arrest data. Florida’s Department of Agricultural Law Enforcement joined the MOA this year, which officials say widens coverage in rural and coastal areas.

Community impact, legal challenges, and responses

Supporters argue the Panhandle surge improves public safety, deters unlawful entry, and gives overworked federal teams extra hands. DeSantis said Florida will continue to push these operations where needed, citing the authority granted under the MOAs and the state’s training pipeline. State officials framed the campaign as a model for other states that want to work more closely with ICE.

Civil rights groups and some judges have warned about the risks of sweeping arrests and fast-tracked deportations. They point to:
– due process concerns
– possible racial profiling
– strain on families when arrests move quickly to transfer and removal

Advocacy groups say the pace can make it hard for people to find legal help.

Tension over detention methods flared this month when U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered the dismantling of temporary detention infrastructure—dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”—and set limits on new inmate transfers. The state has appealed, and litigation continues. Lawyers watching the case say further court action could affect how and where Florida holds detainees, even if arrests continue at scale.

For people living in the Panhandle without status, the risk of arrest during a traffic stop or after a jail release is now higher than earlier this year.

The state says the operation focuses on criminal histories and repeat immigration violations. However, the number of teams in the field and the broad reach of the MOAs mean more status checks and more referrals to ICE review. Advocates describe a tight timeline in which detainees may face:
– rapid transfer
– fewer chances to gather documents
– limited access to counsel

Florida’s leaders say they are trying to make detention shorter, not longer, by speeding transfers to federal custody. They argue that people with criminal charges should not be released before ICE can act, and that FHP now has the tools to prevent that. According to the state, faster data sharing and the presence of federal supervisors in the field allow same-day or next-day decisions in many cases.

The Panhandle campaign relies on:
– multi-agency command posts
– daily briefings
– shared lists of targets who failed to appear or have past removal orders

The state said these lists evolve as new arrests come in and as ICE flags new priority cases.

What’s next

Officials expect the total number of arrests to climb past 200 by month’s end. Teams will remain in place through late August, with more deployments possible later in the year as training expands under the MOAs. Florida also plans additional instruction for state agents by late 2025, which could scale up future operations once the litigation landscape is clearer.

For now, Florida’s message is steady: the state intends to use every tool available under the 287(g) framework. The governor’s office, FLHSMV, FHP, and the State Board of Immigration Enforcement say they will keep working with ICE and local partners to prioritize cases that overlap with public safety concerns.

Community groups, including the Florida Immigrant Coalition and the ACLU of Florida, have mobilized to answer calls from families and to track cases moving through transfer. Lawyers in the Panhandle say they are watching how the judge’s orders affect holding sites and transport chains, especially for people with open criminal cases in county courts.

As August closes, Florida’s “new chapter” in state-led immigration enforcement is reshaping daily life in this stretch of the state. The Panhandle is now a test bed for:
– how far state officers can go under federal oversight
– how fast cases can move to ICE review
– what balance courts will strike between enforcement speed and the rights of people in custody

Officials on both sides expect more rulings, more training, and more deployments ahead.