SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - As the federal government mines local jails for undocumented people, immigrants increasingly face the reality that paying a bond does not guarantee their freedom.

Instead of walking free, many who post bail are held beyond their scheduled release and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for possible deportation — leaving families out hundreds of dollars, attorneys unable to reach their clients and local courts with unresolved cases.

Attorneys and advocates have long raised questions about the legality of the controversial practice.

During U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, ICE has increasingly relied on Florida jails to arrest undocumented immigrants, according to a Suncoast Searchlight investigation published earlier this mo

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