ICE Detention Lawyer in Florida

Florida detention has changed dramatically since 2025. The state has become one of the most aggressive partners in federal immigration enforcement, opened its own state-run detention centers, and processed tens of thousands of people through facilities across the state. When bond is denied, when custody drags past what the law allows, or when a facility is far from family and counsel, a federal habeas corpus petition may be the fastest path to meaningful review for someone detained by ICE in Florida.

Where are ICE detainees held in Florida?

Federal ICE enforcement in Florida runs primarily through the Miami Field Office. Florida also operates its own state-run detention system in partnership with federal authorities, and county sheriffs across the state hold ICE detainees under 287(g) agreements. The active detention footprint as of mid-2026 includes:

• Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami. One of the oldest and largest federal ICE facilities in the country, and the primary federal detention site in South Florida.
• Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach. Operated by GEO Group with a capacity of over 700 beds, this contract detention facility handles a substantial share of Southern District of Florida habeas litigation.
• Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven. A county-run facility that contracts with ICE. A federal judge in the Middle District has granted habeas relief for at least one individual detained here who had been denied a bond hearing.
• Federal Detention Center Miami. A Bureau of Prisons facility that holds some ICE detainees in the Southern District.
• Baker County Facility, also known as the "Deportation Depot," in Sanderson. This state-run facility opened in August 2025 at the former Baker Correctional Institution with a capacity of 1,300 detainees, expandable to about 2,000. It sits in the Middle District of Florida and has become the anchor of Florida's northern detention expansion.
• Flagler County Detention Facility in Bunnell, run by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office as an ICE holding site.
• Liberty County Sheriff's Office in Bristol, operating as a detention holding site in the Northern District.

The Everglades Repatriation Center, widely known as "Alligator Alcatraz," opened in July 2025 in Ochopee and closed in June 2026 after processing more than 22,000 detainees. Its closure followed environmental litigation and conditions-of-confinement lawsuits. Detainees held there when it closed were transferred to other facilities across the state and out of state, sometimes without notice to counsel or family.

Common Florida detention scenarios where habeas may help

Most habeas petitions we file for people detained by ICE in Florida fall into a few recurring patterns:

• Prolonged detention past six months. A person has been held for many months without a meaningful review of whether continued custody remains justified.
• Denied bond hearings under mandatory detention. ICE has classified the person as subject to mandatory detention under INA § 236(c), leaving no route to bond before an immigration judge. See our overview of mandatory detention challenges.
• Post-final-order detention. A removal order has been entered, but ICE cannot actually carry out removal, and detention continues without a lawful basis under Zadvydas v. Davis.
• Detention following a county-jail transfer. Under Florida's 287(g) framework, most people arrested by local police are first booked into a county jail before transfer into federal ICE custody. That transition can shift jurisdiction and cut off legal access at exactly the wrong moment.
• Sudden transfers within or out of Florida. Detainees are moved between Krome, Broward Transitional, Glades, Baker County, and out-of-state facilities on short or no notice, sometimes shifting habeas jurisdiction across districts or circuits.

Each is a distinct fact pattern where a federal habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 may reset the review process. Which one fits depends on the specific timeline and record.

How the Eleventh Circuit shapes Florida habeas cases

Florida sits within the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Atlanta. The Eleventh Circuit's immigration detention jurisprudence has not been as expansive as some other circuits, but the court has ruled on the length of detention, the availability of bond hearings, and the scope of mandatory detention under INA § 236(c). District courts across Florida continue to grant habeas relief in appropriate cases, and recent decisions in the Middle and Southern Districts have addressed prolonged detention and conditions of confinement.

Florida also carries a distinctive legal wrinkle: some detainees are held in state-run facilities like the Baker County site, which raises additional questions about the relationship between state operational control and federal detention authority. Those questions drove substantial litigation during the Alligator Alcatraz cases and continue to shape how counsel approaches habeas petitions for people held in state-operated ICE facilities. See our overview of prolonged detention challenges for how these arguments are typically framed.

Bond hearing vs. habeas petition in Florida

An immigration court bond hearing and a federal habeas petition are two different tools. Bond hearings happen inside the immigration system before an immigration judge and address only whether the person can be released. Habeas petitions are filed in federal district court under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 and ask an Article III judge to review whether the immigration detention itself is constitutional and statutorily authorized.

The two tracks often work in sequence. When ICE argues that a person is subject to mandatory detention with no right to a bond hearing, habeas is frequently the only remaining avenue. When bond has been denied and detention has already stretched for months, habeas can force a second look under a different legal standard. Our guide comparing habeas corpus and immigration bond hearings walks through when each tool tends to fit for someone detained by ICE in Florida.

What families should do first

The first hours after a Florida ICE arrest or transfer set the tone for everything that follows. Concrete steps:

• Locate the person immediately. The ICE Online Detainee Locator is the fastest starting point, but Florida attorneys have reported that the locator has become less reliable during periods of high volume. Check county-jail inmate lookups too, since many Florida detainees start in a county jail before transfer to federal custody.
• Act during the county-jail window. In many Florida cases, the strongest legal options are available while the person is still in county custody and before ICE transfers them out. Contact counsel immediately if the person is still in a county jail.
• Preserve every ICE and county document. Notice to Appear, ICE detainer, ERO letters, and any paperwork received from local jail or check-in appointments all matter.
• Pull together identity, immigration, and community-ties records. Passport, birth certificate, A-number, prior immigration filings, tax returns, lease or mortgage, U.S. citizen family relationships, employment records, and medical documentation for the detainee or dependents.
• Do not sign anything without legal review. ICE officers and jail staff sometimes present documents at intake, check-ins, or facility interviews that waive rights or agree to removal. Ask for a written copy and consult counsel before signing.

If your loved one is detained by ICE in Florida, a federal habeas corpus petition may be the most effective legal tool available. Unlike immigration court proceedings, habeas petitions are filed in U.S. District Court before an independent federal judge — not a government employee.

We handle complex cases, including:

Which federal court handles Florida habeas cases?

Florida has three federal judicial districts, and the correct district for a habeas petition generally depends on where the detainee is being held.

The Southern District of Florida covers Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Key West, with jurisdiction over Krome North Service Processing Center, Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, and the Federal Detention Center in Miami. The Southern District handles a substantial share of Florida habeas litigation and has developed an active body of detention case law.

The Middle District of Florida covers Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, and Ocala, with jurisdiction over the Baker County Facility in Sanderson, Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, and Flagler County Detention Facility in Bunnell. With Baker County holding up to 1,300 detainees and Glades County an established habeas forum, the Middle District has become a central venue for Florida detention litigation.

The Northern District of Florida covers Tallahassee, Pensacola, Panama City, and Gainesville, with jurisdiction over the Liberty County holding site in Bristol. The state has announced plans to open an additional facility in Northwest Florida, which if approved would fall within this district.

All three districts fall under the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Atlanta, which has produced a growing body of immigration detention case law that shapes how district judges evaluate habeas petitions today. Filing procedures for each district are published on the ICE Detention Facility Locator and on each district's court website.