Exiled Nicaraguan Journalist Luis Galeano Detained by ICE in Florida; Supporters Warn Deportation Could Be Fatal

Veteran Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano—one of at least 94 people whose citizenship the Ortega-Murillo government has revoked for opposing the authorities—has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida, his family says.

Detention and Legal Status

Galeano, who fled Nicaragua in December 2018 after police raided the newsroom of 100% Noticias and issued an arrest order, has continued publishing critical reporting on the Sandinista government from the United States via his platform, Café con voz. His wife, Daykel Santamaría, says he has had an asylum application pending for roughly seven years and holds a work permit and a Social Security number.

Despite those documents, ICE agents stopped Galeano on Monday morning shortly after he began a second job driving for Lyft in Florida. By Wednesday he was being held at the Krome detention center in Miami. Santamaría said he has an immigration-court hearing scheduled for October 2.

Concerns From Supporters and Rights Groups

Supporters and human-rights organizations warn that deporting Galeano to Nicaragua could put his life at risk. Javier Melendez, a sociologist and longtime friend, said returning Galeano would be "a death sentence." Melendez himself was denaturalized by the Nicaraguan government and later became a U.S. citizen.

"He escaped persecution for his work and now faces detention in the country where he sought refuge," said Melendez, calling the situation "a double trauma."

The Committee to Protect Journalists and the Inter American Press Association have called for Galeano's release. U.S. lawmakers from both parties, including Representatives María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart, issued statements criticizing the detention and urging protection for political exiles.

Context: Denaturalization and Threats

The denaturalization orders from Nicaragua have targeted prominent cultural and political figures, including novelist Sergio Ramírez and writer Gioconda Belli. Santamaría said she is unsure whether a 2023 denaturalization order has left her husband effectively stateless.

Threats against Galeano date back years: Amnesty International issued an "Urgent Action" bulletin on February 23, 2011, reporting that an anonymous caller warned him to stop his reporting or his family would be harmed. That reporting concerned alleged misuse of government funds during 2004–2008.

Broader Debate Over U.S. Immigration Enforcement

Advocates say Galeano's detention highlights broader concerns about due process in asylum adjudications and immigration enforcement. Ana María Méndez Dardón, Central America director at the Washington Office on Latin America, described the case as an example of tensions between U.S. rhetoric on democracy and human rights and how immigration enforcement is carried out in practice.

Santamaría said she and Galeano had contingency plans in case of detention—contacting their lawyer and alerting the media—and that they had mentally prepared for this possibility. Galeano spoke with his wife several times while detained and, she said, remained calm: "If God got me out of Nicaragua, he'll get me out of here." Santamaría added she believes Galeano's asylum case is "very well-documented."

ICE was contacted for comment.