Early this morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a targeted ICE checkpoint operation in Key Largo, establishing checkpoints along Card Sound Road leading to the exclusive Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, a private 2,500-acre community celebrated for its luxury estates in the Florida Keys, golf courses, and marinas. The ICE enforcement targeting undocumented workers, which began before dawn, focused on illegal workers entering Ocean Reef Club, a renowned gated enclave for affluent residents and seasonal visitors.

ICE vehicles on Card Sound Road were actively inspecting vehicles bound for the club during this South Florida immigration enforcement operation. By sunrise, news of the ICE operation at Ocean Reef Club spread quickly, prompting many Key Largo laborers to turn back to avoid scrutiny. The presence of federal immigration agents in Key Largo caused significant disruptions, with traffic congestion on Card Sound Road as drivers sought alternate routes to bypass the Florida Keys ICE checkpoints.

The Ocean Reef Club, a premier destination among Florida Keys luxury communities, depends on a steady stream of laborers for maintenance and services in Key Largo. Today’s ICE immigration checkpoints, part of broader federal efforts to curb illegal immigration in South Florida, highlighted the region’s complex reliance on undocumented workers in the Florida Keys. No official data on ICE detentions in Key Largo or arrests during Ocean Reef Club operation has been released, but posts on X and Key Largo local group chats underscored the operation’s impact, reporting slowed traffic near Ocean Reef Club and heightened caution among workers in Key Largo’s service industry.

While ICE operations in the Florida Keys are not uncommon due to the area’s proximity to international waters, this morning’s Key Largo ICE checkpoint stood out for its extensive and coordinated efforts involving a significant number of federal agents.