The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has said that since President Donald Trump took office last year, the number of ICE detainees has grown about 60%.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Dozens of people gathered outside the Pinellas County Justice Center on Sunday to call attention to what organizers describe as a rapidly rising number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees being held at the county jail.
About 30 people attended an interfaith vigil outside the Pinellas County Courthouse off of 49th Street N., sharing prayers and personal stories in solidarity with detained immigrants and their families.
Last summer, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay News that the number of ICE detainees had quadrupled in the Pinellas County Jail over the past two years.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said that since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, the number of ICE detainees housed at the jail has grown about 60%. The jail saw a significant increase last year, raising concerns among advocates about exceeding operational capacity in Pinellas County and beyond.
Rabbi Michael Torop, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg, said at the vigil that faith leaders are seeking greater access to detainees.
“The clergy who are local would like access to be able to provide pastoral care to those detainees who would like it. That’s an issue that we’re concerned about as well,” Rabbi Torop said.
Advocates pointed to Florida’s acceleration in immigration enforcement, even if it has not drawn the same national attention as other regions.
“The sort of ongoing campaign to accelerate detentions and deportations as very much happening in Florida even though we’re not as immediately on the front lines as some cities like Chicago or Portland for instance,” said Rev. Wesley Snedeker with the Church of the Isles United Church of Christ in Indian Rocks Beach.
Local law enforcement leaders have previously outlined how officers interact with federal immigration authorities.
Last March, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said officers would assist ICE when and during the course of a lawful encounter in which an individual is identified as a suspect or subject in a criminal investigation. If the person has an active warrant, Holloway said, police are legally obligated to execute it.
“I think that they’re abiding by the laws that they have to abide by but they have not gone over and above what is the minimum mandated by the law,” Rabbi Torop said.
Organizers said the interfaith vigil will continue weekly, with the next gathering scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. on Jan. 11.
We reached out on Sunday to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office regarding the day’s demonstration, but at the time of publication, we had yet to hear back.