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San Antonio has followed a similar trajectory. Arrest totals there have steadily increased throughout the year, absent the dramatic enforcement campaigns that often attract media attention. The common denominator between these regions is straightforward: cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
In these jurisdictions, when a criminal illegal immigrant is booked into a local jail, ICE agents are already in position. There are no drawn-out pursuits or tense confrontations in residential neighborhoods. Instead, individuals are transferred directly from local custody into federal hands—a streamlined process known as custodial arrest.
This approach has proven to be one of ICE’s most effective tools. Roughly half of all ICE arrests nationwide in 2025 stemmed from these custodial transfers, where individuals are already detained by another law enforcement agency. These cases are far more prevalent in Republican-led states, where sheriffs and police departments actively collaborate with federal authorities.
By contrast, sanctuary jurisdictions show significantly lower rates of such cooperation—and correspondingly fewer arrests.
Cities that dominated headlines last year tell a very different story when examined through the lens of actual enforcement outcomes. Chicago, for instance, drew national attention during Operation Midway Blitz. Despite its expansive field office covering six states, the city still falls below the national average in arrests per capita.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles and Denver both saw enforcement peak during the summer months, followed by noticeable declines. Across sanctuary jurisdictions more broadly, arrest rates have remained stagnant, showing little meaningful growth over time.
The pattern is difficult to ignore. Highly publicized enforcement actions tend to produce temporary spikes in arrests, only to be followed by sharp drop-offs. In contrast, states like Florida have demonstrated consistent, sustained increases.
According to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security, the explanation is simple: “We need state and local law enforcement cooperation, so we don’t have to have such a presence on the streets.”
That cooperation reduces the need for agents to track down individuals in unpredictable environments, lowering risks for both officers and the public. When local authorities refuse to coordinate, ICE is forced into more visible—and often more dangerous—operations.
Sanctuary policies, critics argue, do not shield communities as intended. Instead, they eliminate the ability for seamless transfers, pushing enforcement into public spaces where tensions can escalate and costs increase.
Florida’s results, supporters say, are no accident. Under Governor Ron DeSantis, the state spent years building partnerships between local sheriffs and federal agencies. Formal agreements, expanded cooperation programs, and legal protections for participating officers laid the groundwork for today’s enforcement outcomes.
Operations like Tidal Wave generated more than 10,000 arrests within just eight months, even before 2026 began. Since Donald Trump returned to office, the Miami Field Office alone has recorded over 41,000 arrests—figures that far exceed those of many high-profile cities.
In areas where local officials continue to resist cooperation, critics say the consequences are clear. Enforcement becomes more complicated, more hazardous, and less effective—while political leaders continue to decry the very outcomes their policies helped create.
Florida and San Antonio offer a stark alternative: a model built not on spectacle, but on coordination. No dramatic raids. No nightly news frenzy. Just steadily rising enforcement numbers and a system that prioritizes efficiency over optics.
Democrats may continue debating tactics and messaging. But as the data accumulates, one conclusion is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss—the results are already speaking for themselves.
