A man who, by his accent, seems to be Cuban, harshly questioned a deportation operation carried out by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) in the southwest of Miami-Dade County.
The video of the incident was shared by Local 10 News and their journalist Christian De La Rosa, who explained that the witness sent the images to report what he described as an “abuse.”
"I voted for Trump to deport those with records, the criminals, but not to deport the workers. They are deporting the workers; well, it's an abuse what they have, an abuse," the man is heard saying in the video.
Visibly upset, he points out a convoy of official vehicles and adds, "Look how many cars there are. This is a task force to stop a person. What bullies they are, they should be ashamed."
The citizen stated that a similar operation had previously taken place, and on that occasion, those arrested were Guatemalan workers without criminal records, engaged in garden maintenance.
"Right now they stopped a truck in Krome, over there, and took three Guatemalans. They had no record, none. They were working, they were going to cut the grass," he recounted.
Addressing the agents, he added: “I know, it’s not your fault, you're sent by others. That’s your job, but you are abusing it too much. Who is going to mow the grass? Who is going to plant the palms? They have no record.”
Journalist Christian De La Rosa noted that this is one of several immigration operations carried out in recent days in south Florida.
The recording was also shared in the Instagram stories of former Democratic congressman Joe Garcia, who represented South Florida in the United States House of Representatives and is a well-known figure for his advocacy of more humanitarian immigration policies.
The operations are in line with the policy of the Donald Trump administration to strengthen the enforcement of immigration laws, with a focus—according to the administration—on individuals with a criminal history.
However, this example and other reports like this one have reignited the debate over the scope and criteria of the raids, which seem to have "moved" to Florida and are affecting Latino worker communities in the southern part of the state.
The migration operation in the southwest of Miami-Dade County has not been an isolated event. In recent days, southern Florida has witnessed an intensification of raids conducted by ICE, which has caused fear within migrant communities and a growing response of protest.
In neighborhoods like Little Havana, multiple arrests have been reported, including individuals with no criminal history or pending charges with the authorities.
Several witnesses reported arrests in broad daylight, in restaurants, markets, and transport stops, where immigration agents arrived without identifying themselves, causing tension among residents and shopkeepers.
The pressure of migration has been so intense that civil rights organizations and community leaders in Miami have begun to mobilize.
A wave of fear and protests has shaken South Florida, driven by those who claim that the operations are not adhering to the criteria announced by the Trump administration, such as prioritizing the deportation of criminals. Instead, they appear to be impacting workers, mothers, and even individuals with pending applications.
Images shared on social media and local media have shown ICE agents carrying out arrests in public places without providing any explanations.
The scenes have been described as “traumatic” and “disproportionate” by activists and eyewitnesses, who question the use of police forces to apprehend individuals without criminal records.
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