Sheriff Wayne Ivey and his team in Brevard County, Florida, aren’t waiting around for Washington to fix the border crisis. They’re taking matters into their own hands with a bold new plan to stop illegal immigration. Their Operation Shield is hitting hard, rounding up folks here illegally and sending a clear message: Florida won’t be a safe haven for lawbreakers.
Deputies are working hand-in-hand with federal agencies like ICE and Border Patrol to track down undocumented immigrants. In just one day, they arrested multiple suspects, including repeat offenders who’d already been deported. These aren’t just traffic violators—they’re thieves, drug users, and even identity thieves like Jashid Rachid, who was on probation but still causing trouble.
Sheriff Ivey doesn’t mince words. “Illegal immigration doesn’t stop at the border,” he says. “It floods into every town in America.” He’s seen the chaos at the southern border firsthand and knows the stakes. Brevard County sits over 1,300 miles from Mexico, but drug gangs and criminals don’t care about state lines.
The sheriff’s office trained 35 deputies through a special federal program called 287(g). These officers now have the power to act like ICE agents, checking immigration status during arrests. No more letting suspects slip through the cracks. If you’re here illegally, they’ll flag you for deportation the moment you’re released from jail.
Governor Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers back this aggressive approach. They’ve approved new funding and policies to let local cops tackle immigration head-on. Meanwhile, deputies are patrolling highways and waterways through the Stonegarden initiative, stopping drug runners and human traffickers before they reach communities.
Blaze Media’s Julio Rosas rode along with Brevard deputies and saw their tactics up close. His footage shows suspects handing over Mexican voter IDs and arrest warrants instead of proper paperwork. It’s proof that many aren’t just undocumented—they’re linked to crime networks.
Critics might call this approach harsh, but Sheriff Ivey argues it’s about safety. When deputies seized 9,000 pounds of stolen berries worth $7,300, it wasn’t just about agriculture—it was about stopping a criminal operation funded by taxpayers. Every theft, every drug bust, every forged ID chips away at law and order.
Florida’s message is clear: If the feds won’t secure the border, local law enforcement will step up. With over 40 years in policing, Sheriff Ivey knows this fight isn’t just for border states. It’s for every American community drowning in the consequences of open borders. Brevard County’s actions set a bold example—protect citizens first, no apologies.
