The fear of new raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has spread beyond Miami, reaching cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Davie, and Hialeah, where in recent days there have been reports of traffic stops and detentions of migrant workers.
What began on Monday as rumors about controls in Little Havana has led to a wave of widespread concern throughout South Florida, following the release of new videos showing federal agents conducting operations in public roads and work areas.
A report published by NBC6 confirmed that ICE agents and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) detained a Nicaraguan man near loanDepot Park in Miami, during an intervention recorded by witnesses. The detained individual, according to his coworker, has an asylum request and a child born in the United States.
At the same time, the medium L’Union Suite reported that operations have intensified in Broward County, where unmarked vans and hooded agents have been seen surrounding landscaping trucks and construction crews.
The operations are not limited to Miami-Dade. In Palm Beach County, north of Miami, ICE agents conducted a raid this week at a construction site in Lake Worth Beach, where dozens of workers were detained, local media confirmed.
The action left families separated and children without one or both parents, which led community organizations such as the Guatemalan-Maya Center to organize vigils in support of those affected.
Photographs and reports show children recounting the arrest of their parents and neighbors laying flowers in memory of those detained, in a scene that reflects the human magnitude of the operation that has already spread throughout southern Florida.
Videos shared on social media show workers being handcuffed in the rain, vehicles being inspected alongside highways, and agents checking documents in Home Depot parking lots in Plantation and Davie.
Authorities confirmed to local media that it involves “selective control actions in industries with a high rate of violations,” but they refused to specify the number of arrests or the protective measures for civilians.
Immigrant rights activists reported that the tactics are "intimidating and disproportionate," warning that they are generating panic among working families, even among legal residents.
In neighborhoods of Miami-Dade like Little Havana and Hialeah, many prefer not to leave their homes or take their children to school for fear of encountering a checkpoint. "This feels like a hunt; they are stopping anyone who looks Latino," said a Cuban woman who asked to remain anonymous.
While the federal government remains silent, fear spreads faster than official information. On WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media, alert messages are multiplying, many of them unverified.
For a community mostly made up of immigrants, the current climate can be summarized in a phrase that resonates throughout the region: "No one sleeps peacefully in South Florida".
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