Florida jails repeatedly rebooked ICE detainees, extending stays beyond the 72-hour limit

One outlet’s analysis uncovered a pattern in which Pinellas County and Orange County jails repeatedly released and re-booked ICE detainees, effectively resetting the 72-hour limit imposed on local facilities. Between July 2025 and February 2026, Orange County logged 559 repeat bookings, while Pinellas recorded 174, far exceeding the national norm of fewer than ten. The case of Soumia Bensalah, who was shuttled five times in December, illustrates the human toll of the scheme, with one Mexican woman enduring ten rebookings that added up to 26 days of confinement.

Legal scholars and former DHS officials argue the practice was designed to skirt ICE’s detention standards, whereas a DHS spokesperson insisted the actions were lawful. Public pressure in Orange County led to a contract change limiting ICE stays to two days, ending the rebookings there, while Pinellas saw a gradual decline and a shift toward longer single stays. The findings raise questions about the constitutionality of such detention tactics and the growing reliance on local jails for immigration enforcement.