Human Rights Board Could Investigate Pinellas ICE Detention Policies: Reports

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Pinellas County Human Rights Board will look into a recent ProPublica investigation that found the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office rebooked immigrants in local jails to circumvent federal rules, according to multiple reports.

Under federal law, county jails can detain immigrants for a maximum of 72 hours on behalf of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

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Under the practice of rebooking, jails hold immigrants to that federal limit, release them and then readmit them to start the 72-hour clock again, the report said.

Using data from the Deportation Data Project, ProPublica found that "over the past year, jails in both Pinellas County and in Orange County, Florida, had unusually high numbers of repeat rebookings of immigrants held for ICE compared with other jails nationwide" to get around this law.

From July 2025 to July of this year, the Pinellas County Jail rebooked 174 immigrants at least twice, while the Orange County Jail in Orlando rebooked 559 immigrants at least twice from July 2025 until early February, ProPublica found.

Patch has reached out to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for comment. This story will be updated when the agency responds.

After hearing concerns from residents about the practice at Tuesday's Human Rights Board meeting, Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, also the board's chair, said she would ask Sheriff Bob Gualtieri to address concerns about the ProPublica findings and PCSO practices regarding immigration detention, Creative Loafing reported.

"I will ask for a presentation from the sheriff's office to this body … regarding the time frame by which individuals are supposed to be held," Flowers said. "I can't make him come, but I will extend the invitation to him."

She also said she will look into whether the board has the authority to investigate the ProPublica report without a formal complaint, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Ahead of the meeting, the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg area encouraged county residents to attend, speak about the issue and "demand accountability."

"Pinellas County: This is a human rights issue," the League wrote in a Tuesday morning social media post. "A recent ProPublica investigation raises serious questions about the repeated use of the Pinellas County Jail to detain immigrants for ICE. When the government exercises the power to take away someone's liberty, the law must set the limits. The Pinellas County Office of Human Rights is charged with protecting residents from discrimination in government programs and assistance. That makes the Human Rights Board an important place to demand answers about how our county government uses its power and resources. Does our local government follow the law when it deprives people of their liberty?"