OKEECHBOEE, Fla. — Video obtained by WPTV shows a man being arrested outside La Fiesta Super Market in Okeechobee during a joint operation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said the man was in the U.S. illegally, did not have a valid driver's license and also had a history of citations for not having a license. The sheriff's office said the person had already been deported twice, which constitutes an automatic felony under Florida law.
WATCH BELOW: Arrest outside grocery store highlights Florida's growing ICE enforcement
The agency posted on social media Monday to respond to the video, which has been making rounds on the internet, saying in part, "We want to emphasize that neither the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office nor ICE are conducting 'raids' at local businesses. This was a lawful traffic stop, handled in a professional and safe manner by our deputies."
This is one of many arrests happening as ICE increases joint operations across Florida and the U.S. Officials say Florida is leading the nation in these enforcement partnerships.
ICE said in a Tuesday news release that it detained more than 400 undocumented migrants across Florida in a five-day operation spanning Sept. 22-26.
On social media, federal officials touted the results, writing that "Florida is leading the nation" in joint enforcement efforts.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a Sept. 23 news release that more than 2 million people have been "removed or ... self-deported" nationwide since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Officials said they expect another 200,000 removals by the end of this year.
The recent joint operation in Okeechobee has sparked different opinions among people who live nearby.
State
Florida officials announce more than 6,000 immigration arrests
"They're just scared, period," said Jessica Gaskim, who witnessed the arrest outside the grocery store. "I'm minding my own business, and that's when I saw all the undercovers and ICE."
Gaskim said she understands the effort to remove dangerous criminals but worries about broad enforcement.
"They don't want the drugs, they don't want the rapists, but not all of them are like that. To me, that just is discrimination," Gaskim said.
Other residents like Alison Dotson are more supportive of the operations.
"I look at it as fairness, honestly," Dotson told WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman. "If I did something illegal, I would get the same punishment. When you do wrong, you get what you deserve. I mean, I work with all kinds of races, and they all think it's fairness. ... It's nothing racial. ... It's the law."
The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office told WPTV that it expects more joint operations with ICE in the near future. Federal officials emphasize Florida's role as a model for enforcement partnerships nationwide.
