Homeland Security agents arrest over 2 dozen undocumented immigrants at Wildwood construction sites

WILDWOOD, Fla. – Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa conducted worksite enforcement visits at construction sites in Wildwood.

In a series of posts on its X account on Tuesday, the agency announced it’s visiting “one of the fastest growing communities in the U.S.” and has ”arrested more than two dozen illegal aliens,” some of which were previously deported, and the “illegal aliens are from Mexico, Guatemala & Honduras”.

The enforcement efforts are part of a broader initiative to ensure compliance with federal laws and regulations. HSI Tampa is collaborating with local agencies, including the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Miami office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a news release, the Wildwood arrests come just days after agents arrested 53 undocumented immigrants at a hotel construction worksite in Puerto Rico.

“I feel like they’re just catching them at a bad time, on the job sites,” said Richard Luke Hadwin, a worker who was contracted for construction on a house in The Villages. ” I feel like they should leave it away from the work sites. And just keep it more in their residential areas.”

Hadwin spoke to News 6 a few hours after federal agents showed up at his site.

“I could hear them say, ‘Hey, can I have a green card?’” Hadwin recounted.

He said the agents showed up in unmarked cars, and emerged wearing tactical vests, with some of them donning masks.

“It’s like a ghost town out here now,” Hadwin observed

News 6 also encountered Andy Adamic, a man whose new house was under construction.

“I feel sorry for them,” Andy Adamic said.

Adamic said he supports the work of Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s “border czar,” but he also appreciates the hard work the subcontractors are doing on his new home. When he arrived to check on the progress of his home on Tuesday, no one was there.

“I did not expect that this would happen here,” Adamic said, referring to the DHS operation. He clarified that he does not know the immigration status of the construction workers at his home.

Hadwin said that before agents showed up Tuesday, word had already spread that operations at other sites were underway.

“It kinda spooked everybody,” Hadwin said. “And everybody just started leaving work.”

On Wednesday, News 6 received the following statement from HSI Tampa:

”Homeland Security Investigations does not confirm the existence of, or otherwise comment on, ongoing or pending investigations. Addressing worksite violations requires a multifaceted approach of outreach (i.e IMAGE program), compliance (i.e. Form I-9 inspections/audits), and enforcement (i.e. Worksite Enforcement Investigations, arrest and search warrants) that promotes worker empowerment and ethical labor practices. HSI is committed to identifying and disrupting forced labor, providing security and stabilization for victims, and educating U.S. companies on best employment practices to prevent future violations.”

HSI Tampa spokesperson