April 28 (UPI) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Florida announced that nearly 800 people accused of being undocumented in the United States were arrested in “a first-of-its-kind partnership” between federal and state authorities.

ICE said in a statement on Saturday that the arrests occurred last week during the first four days of Operation Tidal Wave, which it described as “a massive, multi-agency, immigration enforcement crackdown.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the operation is an example of state law enforcement partnering with the Department of Homeland Security “to deliver big results on immigration enforcement and deportations.”

“Florida is leading the nation in active cooperation with the Trump administration for immigration enforcement and deportation operations!” he said in a separate statement on X.

The announcement comes as DeSantis has for years promoted local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE under the 287(g) Program, which authorizes their officers to perform specified immigration officer functions.

Hundreds of agencies have joined the program, according to ICE statistics.

In February, DeSantis directed Florida law enforcement to enter into additional memoranda of agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to execute further functions of immigration enforcement.

According to the statement, the agreements will give state law enforcement power to interrogate any suspected non-citizens believed to be in the United States without documentation, as well as arrest them and deliver them to immigration enforcement authorities.

They are also able to enforce felony arrests and have the power to serve and execute arrest warrants for immigration violations, among other duties.

“Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump administration to restore the rule of law,” DeSantis said in a February statement.