Updated September 2026
If the jail has told you there is an immigration hold, or a detainer, on someone you love, here is what that means in plain English and what a bail bond can and cannot do about it. Call (407) 254-5554 and we will tell you straight what we see on the case.
What a hold actually is
A detainer is a request from federal immigration officers to the county jail. It asks the jail to tell them before the person is released, and to hold the person up to 48 hours past the point they would otherwise walk out, so immigration can come and take custody. Every sheriff’s office in Florida cooperates with these requests.
What posting the county bond does, and what it does not do
Posting the bond clears the county charge. It does not cancel a hold, and it does not stop immigration from picking someone up.
So when there is a detainer, the realistic outcome is that the person leaves the county jail and goes into immigration custody instead of going home. That is the part families are rarely told before they pay, and we would rather you hear it from us first.
An immigration bond is a different bond
The bond we write is a Florida bail bond on the criminal case. An immigration bond is set by immigration officers or an immigration judge and is posted through the federal system, not at the county jail. They are two separate things, with separate money.
If there is a hold, the most useful call you can make today is to an immigration lawyer. We can tell you what the county case looks like. We cannot advise you on the immigration side, and anyone who tells you they can make a hold disappear is not being honest with you.
We still write the bond
We do not turn these cases away. What we do is secure them properly, because a hold makes a case unpredictable in ways that are nobody’s fault.
On a case with a hold, we take collateral for the full bond amount, on top of the 10% premium. If the person is taken into immigration custody and cannot get to a Florida court date, the bond can be forfeited, and the collateral is what covers that. When the case is over and the bond is discharged, the collateral is returned to whoever put it up.
All of it is in writing before anyone signs. Ask every question you have first. There is no rush on our side.
What to do in the next hour
- Call an immigration lawyer, even for a short consultation.
- Call us with the person’s full name and date of birth. We will look up the charge, the bond amount, and whether a hold is showing.
- Do not pay anyone who promises a release when a hold is on the case.
Call (407) 254-5554. Our team answers 24 hours a day. Casi siempre hablamos español.
Rather not call? Start here
Tell us who is in jail and where. Our team calls you straight back, any hour of the day.
General information, not legal advice. Immigration law changes and every case is different. Talk to an immigration lawyer about your situation.