Exclusive: Pinellas sheriff blames ICE for immigrant jail rebookings
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Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Photo: Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri blamed federal immigration authorities for a practice in which immigrants were released and rebooked into the county jail to circumvent detention limits.
Why it matters: It's the first time Gualtieri has addressed the findings of a ProPublica investigation outlining the rebooking practice at the Pinellas and Orange County jails.
- The report has drawn the attention of the Pinellas Human Rights Board, whose chair, County Commissioner René Flowers, said this week she wants Gualtieri to address community concerns about the rebooking practice.
What they're saying: In an interview with Axios, Gualtieri said the practice was "totally on" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and that the issue arose because the federal agency doesn't have enough detention space.
- "It's stupid," Gualtieri said of the ProPublica report, which he declined to be interviewed for. "They're making something out of nothing as far as I'm concerned."
- He added that ICE in December designated the jail as a facility that can hold detainees beyond the 72-hour limit that was previously in place, making the rebooking practice a "non-issue."
Zoom in: A copy of the Dec. 11, 2025, authorization memo that Gualtieri shared with Axios said the change was made due to the "increased operational tempo" of ICE's enforcement and deportation operations.
The other side: In a statement, ProPublica said the Sheriff's Office only sent it the memo Wednesday afternoon, days after its investigation was published. The outlet has since updated its story.
Catch up quick: Most county jails in Florida have housing agreements with the federal government to hold immigrants on behalf of ICE for a certain period of time, usually up to two or three days, before releasing them.
- The ProPublica report found that hundreds of immigrants across Pinellas and Orange counties were repeatedly released and then sent back to jail, starting the detention clock over again.
By the numbers: The Pinellas jail rebooked 174 immigrants at least twice over a year ending in July, according to the ProPublica report.
- One Mexican woman was rebooked 10 times and kept in custody for nearly a month, ProPublica reported.
- A French-Moroccan woman who landed in jail after her U.S. citizen husband allegedly assaulted her was rebooked five times. She was eventually deported to France.
Friction point: The rebookings circumvent federal rules and detention standards, legal experts, including two former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, told ProPublica.
- A DHS spokesperson told the news outlet that "ICE is NOT breaking any laws by making custody determinations based on bed space and ensuring detainees' presence for immigration proceedings or removal from the United States."
- ICE did not return Axios' request for comment Wednesday.
The Pinellas sheriff also defended ICE, saying he was told by the agency that detainees could either sleep on the floor at the Tampa ICE office or go back to jail, where there are beds, showers and "free meals," he said.
- "They're trying to do the right thing, trying to do the better thing, under the circumstances," he said.