Miami (September 18, 2026) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), along with 14 other press freedom organizations, called for the immediate release of Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on September 14 in Orlando while working as an Uber driver. The organizations urged the U.S. government to fully consider Galeano’s pending asylum application, given the serious risks he would face if deported.
Galeano left Nicaragua in December 2018 and applied for political asylum in the United States in 2019. In February 2023, the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime stripped him of his Nicaraguan citizenship and confiscated his property. From exile, he continued his journalism work and directed Café con Voz. In Nicaragua, he worked for the newspaper El Nuevo Diario and as a reporter for Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Galeano’s hearing to review his case is scheduled for October 2.
Read the joint statement here.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
