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The migrant community in Miami is experiencing a weekend of uncertainty following the dissemination of messages on social media warning about alleged operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in various areas of the city.
Although federal authorities have not confirmed a massive deployment, dozens of residents claim to have seen agents and official vehicles on the streets of Miami-Dade County and nearby municipalities.
The alert that set off alarms circulated on Friday night through a viral post on Instagram, where content creator @un_martitodurako warned: “There are operations all over Miami, try not to go out, stay calm, as it's not a time to party. ICE is everywhere. Be cautious.”
The message spread quickly among the Latin community of South Florida, gathering views and reactions. In the comments, numerous users claimed to have seen ICE or Border Patrol agents in diverse locations such as Miami Beach, Little Havana, Hialeah, Doral, Coral Gables, Hollywood Beach, and Homestead.
"In Little Havana, you can't even go out; there are Border Patrol cars everywhere," commented a woman who claimed to have been "locked up at home for two days."
Another user claimed that “in the Flagler area and 27th Street, they were parked all day”, while someone else stated they saw them “at 20 NW and Flagler, where it’s said that there will be a big raid on Saturday and Sunday.”
Other testimonies point to a visible presence in commercial areas. "They are in the Home Depots, inside the vans, and come out unexpectedly,” wrote a man who claimed to be a construction worker.
Another commented that he saw “about eight black cars in front of the Moshi Moshi restaurant, on Biscayne and 79th”, while one person reported that “today at the CVS I went to, there were a ton of them”.
In Hollywood Beach, in the northern part of the county, several internet users also reported the presence of agents: “Today I saw them around here, it’s the first time I’ve seen that in this area”, affirmed a resident. Others mentioned locations such as the Hard Rock Casino and the Turnpike highway, where official vehicles have reportedly been seen in recent hours.
The post also generated a wave of messages of support and concern. “Thank you for the heads up”, “may God protect our hardworking people”, and “it's sad to see how they take away people who just want to move forward” were some of the most repeated comments.
However, there were also critical voices calling for calm and to avoid misinformation: "If you wrote better, the message would be understood," replied a follower, to which another user responded with irony: "It was very clear, curfew".
Recent background
Although there is currently no official confirmation of mass operations this weekend, credible media outlets have documented recent ICE raids in Miami during 2025.
In June, NBC 6 South Florida reported on an operation in the northwest part of Miami-Dade County, where 11 people were arrested following an intervention at a residence. In January, Telemundo 51 and Miami New Times also documented similar actions with the detention of undocumented immigrants, some of whom had pending deportation orders.
These events have created an atmosphere of fear among migrant communities, particularly among Cubans, Venezuelans, and Central Americans living in the Miami metropolitan area.
"I have seen videos of owners crying as they took their employees away," wrote an outraged internet user. "Thousands of families are suffering this year for being migrants and just wanting to work."
Rumors and tension in the community
So far, neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued announcements regarding scheduled raids or a special operation in Miami during December.
However, fear has spread among migrants, many of whom claim they prefer not to leave their homes until the situation is clarified.
Meanwhile, social media has become a reflection of the anxiety felt in the streets of South Florida: amid fear, misinformation, and solidarity, thousands of people share the same sense of vulnerability in the face of a possible wave of raids that, whether real or not, rekindles the worst fears of the immigrant community.
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