WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida has become the country’s busiest hub for immigration arrests this year, with ICE agents in the Miami Field Office — which oversees Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands — logging more detentions than any other region in the nation according to our news partners at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.According to figures reported by the New York Times, agents under the Miami office are averaging about 120 arrests a day, totaling nearly 9,900 arrests as of March 10. That pace puts Florida well ahead of other regions experiencing federal “surge” operations, including Minnesota, where a high-profile enforcement push drew national scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were killed.See Also: PBSO deputy posted photos, videos in uniform on foot-fetish site for cash, loses jobFlorida’s role in Trump-era enforcementThe rapid increase reflects Florida’s deliberate alignment with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Gov. Ron DeSantis has worked for years to make Florida a central partner in federal enforcement — calling a special legislative session on immigration policy before Trump even returned to office, requiring every law enforcement agency in the state to participate in ICE cooperation programs, and opening the Alligator Alcatraz detention site in the Everglades.DeSantis announced in January that Operation Tidal Wave — a statewide initiative launched last year — resulted in more than 10,000 arrests over eight months, calling the numbers evidence of the state’s “strength” in its partnership with ICE.By comparison, the St. Paul Field Office reported 5,530 arrests during the same period — roughly 4,300 fewer than Miami’s totals.Questions from judges and law enforcementEven as arrests surge, concerns are growing inside Florida’s own law enforcement ranks. Federal judges in Central Florida and several Republican sheriffs and police chiefs on the State Immigration Enforcement Council have raised questions about the sheer number of people being detained solely for immigration violations without any accompanying criminal charge.During a meeting last week, some council members discussed whether to ask President Trump to consider a pathway to citizenship for people arrested only on status violations. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who chairs the council, argued that local agencies shouldn’t be expected to arrest people who aren’t accused of other crimes.“These are the folks we need in this country,” Judd said, distinguishing longterm community members from what he called “criminal troublemakers.” He said offering a legal path for people acting “for the right reason” should be on the table.DeSantis publicly pushed back the next day, rejecting the idea that anyone without a violent record should be allowed to stay in the country. “This idea that unless you’re an axe murderer you should be able to stay — that is not consistent with our laws,” he said.Arrests continue climbing across the Miami Field OfficeData reviewed by the Times shows daily arrest numbers climbing steadily since Trump took office in January 2025 — rising from around 70 arrests per day to the 120perday pace now recorded in Florida and its neighboring U.S. territories.The next closest field office is Dallas, averaging roughly 80 arrests daily, down from a peak above 90 late last year.It remains unclear how many of Miami’s arrests come specifically from Central Florida.Overflow challenges in Orange CountyThe surge in enforcement prompted operational changes at the Orange County Jail, which serves as a holding center for immigration detainees. Earlier this year, the facility saw as many as 185 people held at once with no charges beyond immigration violations.Concerned about overcrowding, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings imposed new limits: no more than 66 men and 64 women held on immigration violations at any one time. After the policy change, the number of people booked without criminal charges dropped steeply — from an average of 142 per day in January to 48 in February, and more recently around 26 per day.The reduction reflects jail policy, not fewer ICE arrests. Many detainees who would have gone to the 33rd Street facility are now being held elsewhere.Millions still considered eligible for removalNationally, about half of ICE arrests last year involved people who were already in custody for unrelated reasons. The Times also reported that ICE believes an estimated 7 million immigrants nationwide — including people previously released by the agency, those awaiting immigration court hearings, and individuals who entered legally under nowrevoked Bidenera programs — could still be deported.Roughly one million of those individuals are believed to be living in Florida.