Federal and state authorities descended on a Tallahassee construction site early Thursday in a targeted immigration raid, resulting in the arrests of more than 100 illegal immigrants.
WCTV News reported agents raided the Perla site, a new student housing development being built near the Florida State University campus.
The joint agency operation led to the arrest of illegal aliens from Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras, to name a few, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Thursday’s worksite roundup is the latest indicator that the Trump administration intends to go full steam ahead on undocumented workers to hit a new quota of 3,000 arrests per day.
Under Florida law, it is illegal to knowingly employ, hire, recruit, or refer any person not legally allowed to work in the state.
“These types of enforcement actions aim to eliminate illegal employment, holding employers accountable and protecting employment opportunities for America’s lawful workforce,” said ICE HSI Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno in a news release.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee directed the operation, with assistance from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.
An ICE public information officer in Tampa told news outlets Thursday afternoon: “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation served multiple search warrants as part of an ongoing investigation in the Tallahassee region.”
Homeland Security Investigations Tampa posted on social media that it arrested “more than 100 illegal aliens (some of which were previously deported and others with criminal backgrounds) at a major construction site in Tallahassee.”
BREAKING! @HSITampa led teams from @EROMiami @FLHSMV @fdlepio @DEAMiamiDiv @FBIJacksonville @ATF_Tampa @USMarshalsHQ @IRSCI_Miami during the arrest of more than 100 illegal aliens (some of which were previously deported and others with criminal backgrounds) at a major… pic.twitter.com/FGLwWBW2Gr
— HSI Tampa (@HSITampa) May 29, 2025
Florida Phoenix reported that officers surrounded the site on West Gaines Street in FSU’s College Town before the raid began at about 9 a.m. Thursday. Witnesses told the Phoenix that agents asked workers for identification and separated them into two categories. Some of the workers were released after questioning.
WCTV reported the construction site raid follows numerous other immigration arrests in and around Tallahassee, as part of the Florida Highway Patrol’s agreement with ICE.
Thursday’s construction site raid also surprised leadership at the construction company overseeing the project. A PR firm representing Hedrick Brothers Construction wrote in a statement to WCTV:
“Hedrick Brothers Construction fully complies with all regulatory standards, including all E-Verify employment verification requirements. Furthermore, we require all independent subcontractors to follow the same legal standards, as outlined in our contractual agreements with their companies.”
The Tallahassee Democrat reported that the governor’s office deflected questions to HSI when asked if Thursday’s raids were a warning to construction companies who hire undocumented immigrants.
Gov. Ron DeSantis did comment on social media, saying: “State law enforcement making a huge impact on immigration enforcement efforts. Major bust in Tallahassee!”
State law enforcement making a huge impact on immigration enforcement efforts.
Major bust in Tallahassee! https://t.co/BDJ5NIOYhI
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 29, 2025
On May 13, ICE targeted constructions sites in Wildwood, south of The Villages, arresting more than two dozen illegal aliens. According to a Homeland Security video posted to X, they were from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras and some had been deported before.
BREAKING! @HSITampa @EROMiami @FLHSMV has arrested more than two dozen illegal aliens (some previously deported) at construction sites in Wildwood, Florida, during worksite enforcement encounters today! The illegal aliens are from Mexico, Guatemala & Honduras. @OfficialBOP pic.twitter.com/daQqf1Grq5
— HSI Tampa (@HSITampa) May 13, 2025
After the Wildwood raid, Homeland Security said it was investigating whether construction companies were hiring undocumented immigrants in Florida, “the fastest growing region in the U.S.”
The Leon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to WCTV that multiple people detained at the Gaines Street site are facing pending criminal charges. Those arrested were taken to the jail, booked in and placed on an ICE hold.
One individual landed in state custody for resisting arrest and faces four counts of assault on law enforcement officers, according to the ICE news release. Another attempted to pull a weapon on officers.“
HSI Tallahassee, working alongside our state, local, and federal partners, will continue protecting public safety by enforcing the immigration laws of our nation,” Ingegno said.
Other agencies included Florida Highway Patrol, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. Marshals Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.
DeSantis backs the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, praising the state’s recent Operation Tidal Wave. The joint immigration operation between ICE and Florida state and local law enforcement resulted in more than 1,100 illegal immigrants being detained across Florida during five days in May.
