'Operation One-Way Ticket' detains 350 in 4 days, results in 150 deportations, sheriff says

Wayne Ivey: 150 people deported from Brevard County in 4 days

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said 150 people from Palm Bay to Titusville were deported from the county this week, part of state- and federal government-wide push for immigration enforcement.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - More than 350 people were detained and deported in just four days this week as part of "Operation One-Way Ticket," a multi-agency immigration enforcement effort officials say is still underway.

What we know:

Florida officials say more than 350 people were detained and deported in a four-day immigration enforcement push called "Operation One-Way Ticket." 

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The effort, involving state and federal agencies including ICE, Border Patrol and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, focused heavily on Brevard County, where about 150 arrests were made from Palm Bay to Titusville. 

Leaders said the operation is ongoing and could exceed 400 deportations.

What we don't know:

Authorities did not release details about the individuals detained, their countries of origin or how many had prior criminal records. Officials also have not said how long the enforcement effort will continue.

The backstory:

The state’s stepped-up enforcement reflects Florida’s broader political push to play a larger role in immigration control, a federal responsibility. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has previously championed hardline policies, including transporting migrants out of state. The operation was rolled out during Hispanic Heritage Month, a timing that critics say sends a particularly stark message to immigrant communities.

What they're saying:

Supporters say the crackdown is about law and order, framing Florida as a national model for immigration enforcement. Critics argue it risks tearing families apart, disrupting schools and workplaces, and spreading fear in Hispanic neighborhoods. 

"The operation is still ongoing today," said Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "We’ll probably exceed over 400 people detained on immigration and eventually deported."

Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said, "While other states watch and react, Florida will lead. This operation sends a clear and uncompromising message. Florida will not tolerate lawlessness within our borders."

Sheriff Wayne Ivey added, "We are a nation of law and order. And as you guys very well know in Brevard County, we are definitely a county of law and order."

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But Father Jose Rodriguez, a Central Florida pastor, said, "I am surprised we’re celebrating fewer students in the classroom, friends missing their friends, churches missing people in pews, neighbors not finding a neighbor when they go home, jobs having fewer workers. I don’t understand how any of this is good for a community."

Rodriguez said the Hispanic community is fearful. "My son’s best friend is here legally, but the family left Florida because they felt unsafe. They just didn’t know if the system would turn on them."

He also criticized the visa process: "The fact we’re taking away their visas and making them illegal … we’re making people illegal."