Luis Galeano, a Nicaraguan journalist and the director of the program Café con Voz, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while he was working as an Uber driver in Orlando, Florida.
According to a report by Noticias Telemundo on Tuesday, Galeano managed a brief phone call with his wife, Deykell Santamaría, following his arrest.
The journalist, who was detained on Monday as per Confidencial 30, left Nicaragua in December 2018. Since then, he has continued his journalistic endeavors in exile through digital platforms.
"Stay calm, I’m being detained by ICE," Galeano told his wife during their initial call, as recounted by Santamaría to Telemundo.
He also requested that she contact his attorney and fellow journalists to spread awareness about his situation.
Santamaría mentioned that their first conversation was extremely brief, lasting only about 15 seconds.
Another report from Expediente Público indicated that Galeano made a call around 9:50 a.m., during which he said he was unsure of his exact location, except that he was at a station.
Hours later, a second communication revealed that Galeano would remain in custody and be transferred to Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson, Baker County, as he awaits a hearing in immigration court.
His court appearance is scheduled for October 2, as confirmed by his wife.
According to Confidencial, Galeano, aged 48, has an active and pending asylum case in the United States.
Journalists and Nicaraguan opposition figures have urged U.S. authorities to consider the persecution background that forced him to flee and to ensure due process is observed.
Galeano left Nicaragua in December 2018 after a Managua judge issued an arrest warrant for him and other journalists linked to 100% Noticias.
His career has included work with the now-defunct newspaper El Nuevo Diario and serving as a reporter for the EFE news agency's Nicaragua bureau from 2004 to 2006.
In February 2023, Nicaraguan authorities placed him on a list of 94 citizens stripped of their nationality and labeled as "traitors to the homeland," a measure also affecting journalists, writers, human rights defenders, and mostly expatriate opposition members.
Galeano's situation is reminiscent of Colombian journalist Estefany Rodríguez Flores, who was detained by ICE in March while undergoing immigration procedures in the United States.
Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias covering social, police, and immigration issues, was arrested in Tennessee and detained, with her lawyers challenging the legality of the process.
ICE claimed she was in the country unlawfully and had missed two immigration interviews, assertions disputed by her defense.
Rodríguez entered the U.S. in 2021 on a tourist visa and later sought asylum while pursuing residency through her U.S. citizen husband.
The arrest of Luis Galeano is yet another incident reflecting the intensification of ICE operations in Florida. Stay updated with all the latest developments in our U.S. Immigration section.
Understanding ICE Detentions in the U.S.
What led to Luis Galeano's arrest by ICE?
Luis Galeano was detained by ICE while working as an Uber driver in Orlando, Florida. He is undergoing immigration proceedings in the U.S., relating to his asylum case and previous persecution in Nicaragua.
What is the current status of Galeano's asylum case?
Galeano has an ongoing and pending asylum case in the U.S. His immigration court hearing is scheduled for October 2.
How does Galeano's case compare to other journalists detained by ICE?
Galeano's case is similar to that of Estefany Rodríguez Flores, a Colombian journalist arrested by ICE while she was in the midst of immigration proceedings. Both cases highlight the challenges journalists face when seeking asylum in the U.S.