Ronald S. Tulin, PL Attorney / Abogado

09/25/2026

My family member is in jail for state criminal charges and has an ICE hold. What does this mean?

Under federal regulations, when an immigration detainer (ICE Hold) is issued for an individual in state custody, the local law enforcement agency is requested to maintain custody of the individual for a period not to exceed 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, to permit the Department of Homeland Security (ICE) to assume physical custody This 48-hour temporary detention period begins only when the individual is no longer subject to state criminal detention, specifically, when they are otherwise eligible for release because they have posted bond, completed their sentence, had charges dismissed, or been released on parole. Florida law mandates that local law enforcement agencies comply with federal immigration detainers

If I post his bond, what will happen.

If you post the bond on the state criminal charges, the client will not be released into the community. Instead, the county jail will transition the client directly into federal immigration custody. When the court date comes up in state court, he will likely not be present, a warrant will be issued for his arrest and the bond that you posted, will be forfeit to the state. The State also has the authority to seek an order from the Court, to bring him back from immigration custody, to face state prosecution.

What happens if ICE does not pick him up in the 48 hours.

If federal immigration authorities fail to assume custody within the authorized 48-hour window, the individual's primary remedy to secure release is to file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 in federal court. State courts lack jurisdiction to rule on federal immigration detainer custody.

Consults are free. Come talk to me and we will figure it out. I can answer your questions. Ron Tulin 813-717-9400

Stay legal my friends.

05/12/2026

I had lunch with Chase Crawford at Broker’s Title of Florida this afternoon. Very interesting young guy. We talked about something that every buyer, seller, realtor, lawyer, legal assistant and lender needs to hear about, wire fraud. This sounds so far-fetched, but I’ve heard several other examples of this actually happening from other attorneys as well.

These digital thieves are getting better and better every day. What they do is figure out that there’s a real estate transaction happening. How do they do it, I don’t know. Somehow they hack into an email account, gather information about the deal, the closing, and the title company details. Then, they send a very convincing spoof email to the buyer or lender or attorney with fake wiring instructions, making it appear as if it is actually from the title company.

The scary part is that the email looks completely legitimate, appearing to come from the title company itself. It may have logos, signatures, fake phone numbers, email addresses and details about the transaction that make it seem real. But it’s not.

Where was the leak. Who cares. People think they are wiring money for their closing when, in reality, they are wiring their savings directly to criminal organizations. Seriously, no kidding. This happens all the time, these guys are fearless and they are good at it.

And once that money disappears into the electronic universe, it can be extremelydifficult, sometimes impossible, to recover.

My advice is simple to buyers, lenders, lawyers, legal assistants, ect:

NEVER trust wiring instructions sent by email or text. ALWAYS use the
title company’s secure portal. Always independently verify the information before you wire. Check and double check who you are dealing with. Otherwise, could make a very serious and expensive mistake.

Do not rely solely on a phone number listed in the email because you may not actually be speaking with the title company. Look at the email address, does it have a correct domain name. Does it look weird, is something off.

When’s the last time you changed your password for your email. Maybe you’re the weakest link. Do you want that type of liability.

And frankly, there is nothing wrong with doing it old school, walking the certified check directly into the title company office.

One mistake can cost you or your client , your home, and years of financial security and litigation.

Stay legal, my friends.

04/21/2026

There’s a common misconception floating around that entering the U.S. without inspection or a visa is “not a crime.” That’s simply incorrect. Under federal law, specifically 8 U.S.C. § 1325 (Improper Entry by Alien), it is a criminal offense to enter or attempt to enter the U.S. unlawfully. This includes crossing between ports of entry, evading inspection, or using false or fraudulent documents. A first offense is typically charged as a misdemeanor and can carry up to 6 months in jail. Repeat offenses can be charged as felonies.

Additionally, 8 U.S.C. § 1326 makes it a felony for a non-citizen who has previously been deported, removed, or denied admission to re-enter, attempt to re-enter, or be found in the United States without proper authorization.

You can debate immigration policy all day long, enforcement, reform, fairness, but the law, as it stands, is clear on these points.

We’ve been having the same discussion for years, and nothing meaningful gets done. Lots of complaining. Calls to abolish ICE are political talking points, pandering and or virtue signaling that triggers emotion, not real solutions.

What’s actually needed is real immigration reform, clear, functional pathways to legal residency, and a system that reflects reality. Just a thought.

Stay legal, my friends.

04/17/2026

La desinformación sobre la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración es desenfrenada. Las afirmaciones de que las personas indocumentadas están siendo enviadas a "campos de concentración" son falsas. Los centros de detención no son, en lo más mínimo, lugares agradables; pero esa es la naturaleza de la custodia. Invocar imágenes y referencias n***s no solo es inexacto, sino también irresponsable e ignorante. Resulta especialmente preocupante ver a abogados utilizando esvásticas y comparaciones similares en las redes sociales, lo cual socava la confianza pública en el sistema judicial.

En los Estados Unidos, las personas bajo custodia del ICE son internadas en centros de detención y presentadas ante un juez de inmigración para las audiencias del debido proceso. Estos casos se tramitan dentro de un marco legal establecido, no fuera de él. También existen recursos federales, como el *habeas corpus* (mediante el cual el detenido puede presentar un caso ante un tribunal federal para impugnar la constitucionalidad de su detención).

Seamos también honestos respecto a las realidades de la ley de inmigración. No todos los casos califican para obtener la libertad bajo fianza. Existe jurisprudencia que respalda la denegación de la fianza en determinadas situaciones. Otros casos pueden calificar bajo excepciones limitadas. Muchos detenidos carecen de vías de recurso debido a condenas penales previas, deportaciones anteriores, o una deportación previa seguida de un reingreso ilegal (lo cual constituye un delito grave federal).

Desde un punto de vista práctico, representar a personas detenidas resulta un desafío y, a menudo, una experiencia frustrante. Sin embargo, lo hacemos. Con frecuencia, el ICE traslada a los detenidos entre distintas instalaciones. A veces, justo antes de una audiencia de fianza programada en Florida, el detenido es trasladado a un centro de detención en Luisiana, Texas, California o Nuevo México con muy poco aviso previo. Cuando esto sucede, debemos volver a presentar la solicitud ante el nuevo tribunal de inmigración de esa jurisdicción y programar otra audiencia. Para colmo de males, incluso si se concede la fianza, las familias deben coordinar la recogida del detenido en esa ubicación tan distante. Además, el sistema debe estar saturado, ya que los expedientes de los casos no siempre están disponibles de inmediato para su presentación a través del sistema ECAS. ¡Qué fastidio!

A pesar de estos desafíos, seguimos luchando por nuestros clientes y explorando todas las opciones legales disponibles. Estoy muy agradecido con mi asistente, Gaby; no podría hacer nada de esto sin ella. Trabaja incansablemente. Y también agradezco a Laura, quien mantiene a los perros en silencio durante mis audiencias por Webex. Espero lograr terminar la audiencia antes de que el repartidor de Amazon toque el timbre.

Hemos experimentado tanto éxitos como fracasos. Pero siempre damos lo mejor de nosotros. Si usted está lidiando con un asunto de inmigración, le ofreceré una evaluación directa y honesta —sea esta favorable o no— para que pueda tomar decisiones informadas. Cuento, además, con una red de colegas abogados. Si yo no puedo resolver su caso, conozco a alguien que sí puede hacerlo. Podemos asistirle con cualquier desafío legal que nos plantee. Las consultas son siempre gratuitas.

Manténganse dentro de la ley, amigos. Ron Tulin: 813-717-9400

04/17/2026

Misinformation about immigration enforcement is rampant. Assertions that undocumented individuals are being sent to “concentration camps” are false. Detention centers are not pleasant in the least, but that is the nature of custody. Invoking N**i imagery and references is not only inaccurate, it’s irresponsible and ignorant. It’s especially concerning to actually see attorneys using swastikas and similar comparisons in social media that undermine public trust in the judiciary.

In the United States, individuals in ICE custody are placed into detention and brought before an immigration judge for due process hearings. These cases are handled within an established legal framework, not outside of it. There is also federal relief, like habeas corpus (detainee can file a case in federal court to challenge the constitutionality of his or her detention)

Let’s also be honest about the realities of immigration law. Not every case qualifies for bond. There is case law supporting denial of bond in certain situations. Other cases may qualify under limited exceptions. Many detainees have no avenues for relief because of criminal conviction(s), prior deportation, prior deportation followed by an illegal re-entry (federal felony).

From a practical standpoint, it is challenging and often frustrating representing detained individuals. We do it. ICE often transfers detainees between facilities. Sometimes, right before a scheduled bond hearing in Florida, the detainee is often moved to a detention center in Louisiana, Texas, California, and or New Mexico with little notice. When that happens, we have to refile before the new immigration court in that jurisdiction and schedule another hearing. To add insult to injury, even if bond is granted, families must arrange pickup in that distant location. They the system must be backlogged because the cases aren't always readily available to file in ECAS system. Ugh.

Despite these challenges, we continue to fight for our clients and pursue every available legal option. Thankful for my assistant Gaby. I could not do any of this without her. She works so hard. And, to Laura who keeps the dogs quiet during my Webex hearings. I hope I can get the hearing done before the Amazon guy rings the doorbell.

We have enjoyed both success and failures. We always give our best.

If you’re dealing with an immigration issue, I’ll give you a straightforward, honest assessment, good or bad, so you can make informed decisions. I have a network of other attorneys as well. If I cannot do it, I know somebody who does. We can assist with anything you can throw at us. Consultations are always free.

Stay legal, my friends. Ron Tulin

Office: 813-717-9400

08/13/2025

Según el Estatuto de Florida § 775.0848, si alguien es considerado extranjero no autorizado (persona que se encuentra ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos), cualquier cargo penal puede convertirse automáticamente en un delito más grave.

🔹 Ejemplo: Un primer DUI, normalmente un delito menor, podría reclasificarse como un delito grave.
🔹 Los delitos menores de segundo grado se convierten en delitos menores de primer grado.
🔹 Los delitos menores de primer grado se convierten en delitos graves de tercer grado.
🔹 Los delitos graves también se elevan a un grado superior, y los delitos graves de primer grado pueden convertirse en delitos graves de por vida.

Estoy empezando a ver que esto se aplica y es un cambio importante que puede significar p***s mucho más severas. Llámame si puedo ayudarte. Abogado Tulin 813-717-9400

Call now to connect with business.

08/13/2025

Under Florida Statute § 775.0848, if someone is considered an unauthorized alien (person who is unlawfully present in the United States), any criminal charge can be automatically upgraded to a more serious offense.

🔹 Example: A first-time DUI, normally a misdemeanor, could be reclassified as a felony.
🔹 Second-degree misdemeanors become first-degree misdemeanors.
🔹 First-degree misdemeanors become third-degree felonies.
🔹 Felonies also get bumped up a degree, and first-degree felonies can become life felonies.

I’m starting to see this applied and it’s a big change that can mean much harsher penalties. Call me if I can help. 813-717-9400

Call now to connect with business.

08/06/2025

A colleague showed me that emails to my address had bounced back. I did not realize it. I am hold with tech support getting this fixed, well over an hour. It’s got something to do with DNS or whatever. It takes 48 hours to “propagate”, meaning that dog ain’t gonna hunt for awhile. I didn’t do that. Do people hack and hikack your email? It’s well over 60 minutes on phone. If you must email me, please use my personal email [email protected].

02/22/2025