Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acknowledged earlier this month in a media report a nationwide immigration operation was planned over the July 4 weekend.
Reports on local social media indicated Waycross may have been involved. A photo and information posted Saturday afternoon, July 4, on Facebook showed a bus with people in military-style attire near the intersection of Brunswick Highway and Memorial Drive.
No lettering was visible on the uniforms of those pictured nor the bus or other nearby vehicles seen in the photo, which sparked dozens of comments on the platform.
Attempts Monday, July 6 by the Waycross Journal Herald to confirm ICE was operating in the area over the holiday weekend were unsuccessful.
Mexican media outlet Telemundo reported Friday, July 3 ICE officials had confirmed the weekend operation.
Vice President J.D. Vance said last week in an interview upcoming operations were planned in 45 states.
Telemundo’s report said it had consulted with an attorney, who advised immigrants to celebrate the festivities surrounding the 250th anniversary of the United States with caution, given the expected presence of federal agents during those days.
The operation comes at a time of unprecedented escalation in the pace of arrests, media reports said.
Just days before, ICE surpassed 10,000 arrests in just five days, the Los Angeles Time reported. That figure nearly doubled the daily average recorded at the beginning of 2026, when the agency was making around 1,000 arrests daily.
The figures indicate that while the administration is no longer cracking down on individual cities, the arrests continue to surge nationwide, the report said.
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