From Staff Reports and the Hope Community Center
In Summary:
Hope CommUnity Center says it has confirmed increased ICE activity in Central Florida following days of social media reports and community concern. Executive Director Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet cited a sharp rise in immigration holds at the Orange County Jail and warned that a warehouse facility could potentially be used for detention. Local officials have also raised questions about enforcement expansion and transparency as Florida increases cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
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Hope CommUnity Center Executive Director Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet said immigration enforcement activity has increased across Central Florida, citing “multiple verifiable and credible reports” of individuals being stopped, asked for documentation, and detained by federal agents.
Sousa-Lazaballet’s statement comes after several days of social media rumors about heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the region. He said Hope CommUnity Center has been working to confirm what is true and separate fact from speculation.
Related: Demings presses federal officials to reimburse Orange County for ICE detention costs.
“I can confirm there is increased ICE activity in Central Florida,” Sousa-Lazaballet said.
According to Sousa-Lazaballet, Hope CommUnity Center has received reports that ICE and Border Patrol agents have been “stopping individuals in our communities, requesting documentation, and detaining people, often without a clear explanation.”
He also said the organization has confirmed a dramatic increase in the number of individuals placed on ICE hold at the Orange County Jail.
“We have also confirmed that approximately 300 individuals have been placed on ICE hold at the Orange County Jail within the past 48 hours, a dramatic increase from the typical daily average of around 70 detainees,” he said.
Reports in the Orlando Sentinel and WESH-2 News confirm those assertions.
New data from Orange County Corrections appears to support advocates’ concerns, showing a sharp increase in the number of inmates booked into the Orange County Jail with immigration holds over the past week. According to the latest reported numbers, 377 inmates were booked with immigration holds as of Friday morning, compared to 71 one week earlier on Jan. 9. The report also indicated that roughly half of those inmates were booked with local charges in addition to immigration holds.
Sousa-Lazaballet also raised concerns about a possible large-scale detention operation at a warehouse facility in the Orlando area.
“Additionally, we have serious concerns that ICE may use a warehouse facility in the Orlando area to detain up to 1,500 people,” he said.
Sousa-Lazaballet said he personally visited the suspected site and described it as a facility not designed to hold people.
“I have personally visited the suspected site and can state unequivocally: this is a warehouse built to store goods and merchandise, not to house human beings,” he said.
Separate from Sousa-Lazaballet’s statement, elected officials have also publicly addressed the possibility of a new detention site in Orange County. Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson reported visiting an industrial warehouse area in eastern Orange County, south of SR-528, where she said she observed activity consistent with a federal contractor site visit.
The recent increase in jail immigration holds comes as U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, who represents parts of Central Florida, has publicly stated he confirmed ICE agents made large hotel reservations in the region. Local officials and advocates say the developments raise questions about whether additional enforcement resources have been deployed to Central Florida and whether detention capacity could be expanded.
The heightened activity comes amid broader statewide policy shifts related to immigration enforcement. Florida has expanded cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and ICE through 287(g) agreements, which allow certain local agencies to work directly with federal immigration authorities. Supporters argue the agreements strengthen enforcement coordination, while critics say they discourage immigrant communities from reporting crimes or cooperating with police.
Sousa-Lazaballet said the reported operations go beyond standard immigration enforcement and raised concerns about transparency and due process.
“These actions go far beyond routine immigration enforcement,” he said. “The latter would necessarily imply that the legal process is being followed, and human rights are respected. That is not what is happening.”
He urged local elected officials to publicly oppose the reported practices and to end cooperation with ICE, while calling for stronger legal safeguards and transparency.
“Our community deserves dignity, respect, and its human rights,” Sousa-Lazaballet said. “Secrecy, fear, and intimidation are not compatible with a democratic state and do not belong in this community.”
It remains unclear whether federal agencies have formally announced a new enforcement initiative in Central Florida or whether the increase in detentions is tied to a broader statewide or national effort. The Apopka Voice is seeking comments from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Orange County Corrections, and Orange County government officials regarding the reported increase in immigration holds and claims that a warehouse facility is being considered for detention.
Key Points:
- Hope CommUnity Center says there is increased ICE activity across Central Florida.
- The organization cited credible reports of individuals being stopped, asked for documentation, and detained.
- Orange County Corrections data showed a sharp jump in inmates booked with immigration holds over the past week.
- Sousa-Lazaballet raised concerns about a warehouse facility potentially being used for large-scale detention.
- Local leaders and advocates are calling for transparency and urging elected officials to respond.
