You’ve seen the photos. Maybe you saw her on Dancing with the Stars back in 2024, bedazzling a bulky black box on her leg like it was a Gucci accessory. Or perhaps you’ve caught her more recent 2026 runway appearances where the device is still very much a permanent fixture of her wardrobe. It’s been years since the world first obsessed over the "Soho Grifter," yet she’s still tethered to a tracking device.
Why?
The anna delvey ankle monitor reason isn’t actually about the money she stole from New York’s elite. That part is technically over. If you're looking for the simple answer, it's this: Anna Sorokin (her real name) isn't wearing that monitor because of her criminal conviction for grand larceny. She’s wearing it because of a massive, ongoing fight with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Real Reason for the Ankle Monitor
Most people assume the monitor is a lingering "thank you" from her time at Rikers Island. It’s not. Anna actually finished her criminal sentence for those famous scams—the private jets, the $62,000 Morocco trip, and the fake foundations—back in February 2021. She served about four years and was released for good behavior.
She was a free woman for exactly six weeks.
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Then ICE picked her up. The agency argued that she had overstayed her visa and was therefore in the country illegally. Because of her history of, well, being a world-class liar, immigration judges weren't exactly keen to let her walk free while they decided whether or not to deport her back to Germany.
The 2022 Bail Agreement
After spending 17 months in an ICE detention center in Orange County, New York, Anna’s legal team finally secured her release in October 2022. But the price of "freedom" was steep. To get out of a jail cell and into her East Village apartment, she had to agree to:
- A $10,000 bail bond.
- 24-hour home confinement (house arrest).
- A strict ban on social media (which was later lifted).
- The electronic monitoring device (the ankle monitor).
Is She Still Under House Arrest in 2026?
As of early 2026, the situation has shifted, but the "jewelry" remains. In late 2024 and through 2025, Anna’s legal team successfully argued for a loosening of her restrictions. She moved from her tiny Manhattan walk-up to a place in the Hudson Valley, often associated with her friend and publicist Kelly Cutrone.
The monitor stays on because her deportation case is still winding its way through the federal court system. In the U.S., immigration cases involving high-profile appeals can take years—literally. Anna has filed for asylum, claiming she fears returning to Germany (which many find ironic given it's one of the safest countries on earth). She also insists she needs to stay in the U.S. to continue appealing her original criminal conviction.
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Basically, until a judge makes a final, unappealable decision on whether she stays or goes, ICE wants to know exactly where she is 24/7.
The "Ankle Bracelet Fashionista"
Anna didn't just wear the monitor; she monetized it. Honestly, it’s the most Anna Delvey thing ever. During her 2024 stint on Dancing with the Stars, the show’s costume department actually built custom "sleeves" to match her outfits. She’s been quoted saying she has "no choice" but to wear it, so she might as well make it look good.
Critics have called it offensive. Supporters call it performance art.
Regardless of where you stand, the device serves a very functional purpose for the government. If she tries to hop on a plane—which she’s allegedly done with other people’s money before—the signal drops, and the marshals show up.
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Why hasn't she been deported yet?
You might be wondering why other people get deported in weeks while Anna has been hanging out in New York and the Hudson Valley for years. It comes down to two things:
- Money for Lawyers: Top-tier immigration attorneys can file endless motions, stays, and appeals that keep the clock running.
- Public Interest: Whether we like it or not, the media attention makes her case a "hot potato" for the Department of Justice.
What Happens Next?
If you’re looking for the "end" of the anna delvey ankle monitor reason, you’re going to have to wait for the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) or a federal circuit court to issue a final ruling.
If she wins her asylum claim or manages to get her original conviction vacated, the monitor could come off tomorrow. If she loses, she’ll likely be escorted to a plane bound for Frankfurt.
For now, the monitor is a constant reminder that while she may be a "fashion icon" to some, to the U.S. government, she’s still a non-citizen with a lapsed visa and a history of "flight risk" behavior.
Actionable Insights for Following the Case:
- Check the BIA Docket: If you're a legal nerd, following the Board of Immigration Appeals for "Sorokin, Anna" is where the real news breaks.
- Watch the Appeals: Her attempt to vacate her 2019 conviction is the lynchpin. If that conviction disappears, ICE loses much of its "danger to the community" argument.
- Ignore the Glamour: Remember that for every bedazzled photo, there is a federal agent monitoring a GPS signal in a drab office somewhere.
The saga of the ankle monitor is less about a crime she committed in 2017 and more about the bureaucracy of the U.S. immigration system in 2026. She’s trapped in a legal "gray zone" where she’s too famous to hide, but too litigious to deport.