Soumia Bensalah spent 26 days in the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, Florida, last December. Every third morning, she was roused before dawn, shackled hand and foot, loaded onto a bus and driven over Tampa Bay to a cramped hold room at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, where she sat all day still shackled. Once evening came, she was driven back to the jail, forced to wait for hours in a hallway, photographed, strip-searched, questioned and led back to her cell.
The pattern repeated five times that month, according to legal experts who spoke with ProPublica. Bensalah, a French Moroccan national with a pending green card application, had called police after her U.S. citizen husband allegedly assaulted her. Both were booked into the Polk County Jail on battery charges, which were later dropped. She posted bond but was not released due to an ICE detainer, a written request from the federal government asking a jail to hold someone for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be free.
The repeated releases and readmissions, known as rebookings, allowed county jails like Pinellas to circumvent federal rules limiting how long they can hold immigrants on behalf of ICE. State law requires every Florida jail to sign collaboration agreements with ICE. Most can detain immigrants for only 48 hours. Pinellas and Orange County had special contracts allowing up to three days, designated as "under 72" facilities in ICE's database.
What the Left Is Saying
Immigrant rights advocates and legal experts say the rebooking practice exploits a loophole to hold civil immigration detainees in conditions meant for criminal defendants. Emily Ryo, a Duke University law professor who studies ICE detention, said county jails often cannot provide comprehensive medical screenings, space for confidential legal consultations or outdoor access, all of which should be guaranteed under ICE's own detention standards.
Michelle Brané, a former Department of Homeland Security immigration detention ombudsperson, described the rebookings as an intentional circumvention. "What it shows is that they were very aware that they were breaking a rule," Brané said. Eight legal experts interviewed by ProPublica characterized repeat rebookings as circumventing federal regulations.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has raised concerns about similar practices, arguing that civil immigration detainees should not be held in conditions designed for criminal incarceration. Immigrant advocacy groups contend the practice causes psychological harm and makes it harder for detainees to access legal counsel.
What the Right Is Saying
Law enforcement officials argue the rebooking practice is a necessary tool given limited federal detention capacity. The shortage of immigrant detention space has been a long-standing challenge, with ICE frequently relying on local jails to house immigration detainees when federal facilities are full.
Florida law enforcement agencies have broadly embraced collaboration agreements with ICE. Most sheriff's offices in the state participate in 287(g) programs or similar arrangements that integrate local officers into immigration enforcement. Supporters say these partnerships allow local authorities to cooperate with federal efforts without bearing the full cost of detention.
A former senior DHS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 72-hour limit exists because county jails are designed for short-term custody of criminal suspects, not extended civil detention. "At 72 you should have walked him out the door," the official said. Some conservatives argue that critics overlook the practical challenges of immigration enforcement and the need for local-federal cooperation.
What the Numbers Show
ProPublica's analysis of data from the Deportation Data Project reveals stark disparities between Florida jails and facilities nationwide. From July 2025 until early February 2026, the Orange County Jail in Orlando rebooked 559 immigrants two or more times. The Pinellas County Jail rebooked 174 immigrants at least twice from July 2025 through June 2026.
Other jails across the country rebooked no more than 10 immigrants multiple times during comparable periods. The scale in the two Florida counties was unmatched nationally, according to ProPublica's analysis. Both facilities had rebooking rates far exceeding similar-sized detention operations in other states.
All of the rebooked immigrants were held for ICE on civil charges rather than local criminal matters. Bensalah's case illustrates the human cost: she spent a total of 26 days in custody through five separate admissions and releases, each involving hours of transport, hallway waits, photography, strip searches and questioning.
The Bottom Line
The practice of rebooking immigrants at Florida county jails raises questions about regulatory compliance and oversight. Legal experts say the technique allows facilities to hold civil immigration detainees beyond intended limits while technically complying with paperwork requirements.
ProPublica's data indicates rebooking at both Orange County and Pinellas appeared to cease by mid-2026, though it is unclear what prompted the change. Immigrant rights advocates are calling for greater transparency in jail records related to ICE detention, noting that such documentation is typically shielded from public disclosure under federal immigration regulations.
The case highlights broader tensions between civil immigration enforcement and local criminal justice infrastructure designed for different purposes.