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MIAMI (AP) 鈥� The roster of local police departments and state agencies that have joined President Donald Trump鈥檚 drive for mass deportations has soared to more than 500, with nearly half from Florida.

That cooperation will be on display Thursday when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joins officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to tout an operation that authorities say netted about 800 immigration arrests in less than a week.

Local police can make immigration arrests and detain people for immigration violations under specific agreements. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had 135 agreements across 21 states in December. That number has jumped to 506 deals across 38 states, with an additional 74 agencies pending approval.

As the Trump administration ramps up cooperation with state and local agencies, it is moving to retaliate against those that limit helping immigration authorities. On Monday, the president signed an executive order to publish a list of 鈥渟anctuary鈥� jurisdictions and reiterated threats of criminal charges against state or local officials who thwart federal policy.

Advocates who oppose local officials getting into immigration enforcement say the practice violates a clause in the U.S. Constitution that makes federal, not state, authorities responsible for it.

鈥淭his is finding methods to terrorize communities,鈥� said Katie Blankenship, an immigration attorney and co-founder of Sanctuary of the South, adding that local law enforcement officers aren’t trained to handle immigration issues “in any sort of just manner.鈥�

Trumps deportation goals may be too big for ICE alone

ICE, which has about 6,000 deportation officers, needs help achieving Trump’s goal of deporting many of the roughly 11 million people in the country illegally, a conservative estimate.

Texas, whose Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has closely allied himself with Trump on immigration, has 76 enforcement agreements on record, the second-largest number of any state. They include one inked April 10 with the state National Guard. Texas has also signed an agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for its National Guard to arrest people at the border.

Georgia and North Carolina have also joined Trump’s cause, but no state approaches Florida’s cooperation, with agencies from all 67 counties signing on. Some participating institutions appear to have little, if anything, to do with immigration enforcement, including the Florida Department of Lottery Services and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

No such agreements were signed during the Biden administration. Many of the new pacts adhere to a 鈥渢ask force model鈥� under which police arrest immigrants on the streets and in communities, as opposed to a 鈥渏ail enforcement model鈥� under which ICE takes custody of people only when they are put in state and local jails or prisons.

Florida officials say many local agencies are still waiting for federal training. However, the latest ICE arrests, part of what the agency calls 鈥淥peration Tidal Wave,鈥� show how state and local roles may grow.

One operation involved about 80 state troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol and targeted people in Jacksonville, Orlando and Tallahassee, as well as in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, said Bill Smith, president of FHP鈥檚 chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association. A spokesperson for Florida Highway Patrol did not respond to questions.

Authorities targeted people who faced final deportation orders and detained others on outstanding arrest warrants for previous offenses, like driving under the influence or without a license, Smith said.

鈥淔lorida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations!鈥� DeSantis said after ICE announced arrests Saturday.

Some immigrant advocates said most arrests were by local police officers and state highway patrol troopers, not ICE. People were detained during traffic stops or when leaving work. Some had no criminal records and were seeking asylum, or had work permits, advocates said.

One family is suddenly torn apart

Jessica Ram铆rez, general coordinator at the Florida Farm Workers Association, said that most of those arrested were men. In some cases, though not many, ICE officials knocked on the door of immigrants’ houses, she said.

鈥淧eople are extremely afraid to go out and drive, afraid of the police,鈥� said Ram铆rez. 鈥淭he recommendation is to drive carefully, follow the rules, and not give the police a reason to stop them.鈥�

Chica, a 25-year-old Guatemalan woman who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of being detained, said her partner Fernando, the father of her 3-month-old baby, was detained Friday morning as he was riding in a car with three other immigrants to his construction job. Chica hasn鈥檛 heard from him since.

鈥淗oney, the police caught us,鈥� Fernando, a 20-year-old Guatemalan, texted her Friday at 7:47 a.m.

Chica said he had a pending asylum application and a work permit. Police asked the driver of the car to show his license but he did not have one. Officers then detained all four, including Fernando, who came to the U.S alone in 2020.

鈥淚鈥檓 really worried. I can鈥檛 believe they caught him,鈥� said Chica, who is now considering going back to Guatemala. 鈥淚鈥檓 afraid they鈥檒l deport him and I鈥檒l be left here without anyone鈥檚 help.”

Grady Judd, the sheriff of Polk County in central Florida, called the operation a 鈥渄rop in the bucket” and voiced frustration with what he called the federal government’s inability to carry out arrests and removals on a larger scale.

鈥淭he reason I think that they were focusing on those ready for deportation is there鈥檚 no place to put volumes of people,鈥� Judd said. 鈥淲e’re eager to cooperate with them. But it鈥檚 a federal government system and process. And it鈥檚 not changing very rapidly.鈥�

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Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida.