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Exiled Nicaraguan journalist detained by ICE while driving for Uber, later released on bond

Sep 26, 2026·Location: Miami, FL

Country of origin: Nicaragua

Exiled Nicaraguan journalist detained by ICE while driving for Uber, later released on bond
Photo via The Guardian

Luis Manuel Chavarría-Galeano, a 48-year-old exiled Nicaraguan journalist who hosts the interview program Café con Voz, was detained by ICE agents on September 14, 2026 while working as an Uber/Lyft driver near Orlando to supplement his journalism income. He fled Nicaragua in 2018 after police raided his newsroom and imprisoned colleagues over his reporting critical of Daniel Ortega's government, filing for asylum in the U.S. in June 2019 with a pending case, a valid work permit, and no U.S. criminal record. In 2023, the Ortega-Murillo government stripped him and 93 other journalists, writers, and activists of their citizenship. His wife, Daykel Santamaría, said she received only a brief call before his phone was taken, during which he asked her to contact a lawyer and notify journalists. He was held at Baker Correctional Facility and then Krome North Service Processing Center, where press freedom groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, Nicaraguan opposition members, and U.S. lawmakers such as Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar called for his release. An immigration judge granted him bond on September 23, and he was released on September 26, with a future immigration court hearing scheduled.

Timeline

Oct 27, 2026—Immigration court hearing scheduled
Sep 26, 2026—Released from ICE custody
Sep 23, 2026—Immigration judge granted bond
Sep 14, 2026—Detained by ICE agents while driving for Uber/Lyft near Orlando, Florida
Sep 14, 2026—Transferred to Baker Correctional Facility and then Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade
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