U.S. Immigration Agents Arrest Nicaraguan Journalist Luis Galeano Amid Asylum Case

MEXICO CITY — Nicaraguan journalist Luis Galeano fled his country in 2018 after police raided the television station where he broadcasted his popular talk show, arresting two of his colleagues. Galeano applied for political asylum when he arrived in Florida on a tourism visa, stating he faced grave risks back home for his criticism of Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, which the U.S. labels a dictatorship. Soon after, Nicaragua declared Galeano a “traitor to the homeland” and confiscated his home and assets in Managua. This week, U.S. immigration agents arrested Galeano in Orlando. Despite his ongoing asylum case, he now faces deportation to Nicaragua. Journalists, human rights advocates, and political dissidents who fled Nicaragua are increasingly being detained as the Trump administration widens its deportation efforts and narrows access to asylum. Recent targets include activists who fled after a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2018 and opposition leaders critical of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. Some exiles arrested by U.S. agents had been welcomed by the U.S. government just three years ago under a deal negotiated by the State Department. As part of the 2023 agreement, Nicaragua freed 222 political prisoners, and the U.S. facilitated their transport to Washington, granting them temporary humanitarian parole and the chance to apply for asylum. One former prisoner, Marlon Gerardo Sáenz Cruz, was arrested during a check-in with immigration authorities in Los Angeles on August 17. Another, Denis Javier Palacios Hernández, was detained by immigration agents in Virginia. Human rights advocates argue that deporting dissidents with no criminal record and a history of persecution endangers their lives and contradicts U.S. foreign policy, which condemns human rights abuses under Ortega and Murillo. After Ortega announced in July that Nicaragua would scrap future elections, Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed consequences. This week, while celebrating Central America’s independence, Rubio praised Nicaraguans for their push for democracy despite the regime's efforts to suppress it. Galeano, who has been working as a driver for ride-hailing apps and producing a daily YouTube show since moving to Florida, was detained because he overstayed his tourist visa, which allowed him to remain in the U.S. only through 2019. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson encouraged Galeano to self-deport, stating, “Being in detention is a choice.” In the past, asylum applicants were generally allowed to stay and work while awaiting a ruling, but this has changed under the Trump administration, which aims to deport 1 million people annually. Immigration arrests in the U.S. have surged, with over 51,000 in August, and Nicaraguans facing deportation have increased significantly under Trump compared to Biden. Nicaraguans are also being deported to countries like Mexico and Costa Rica, where they face unique risks. Gerald Chávez, president of the Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua, noted that at least one journalist who sought protection in the U.S. avoided deportation to Nicaragua through a lengthy legal battle. Restrictions on press freedoms have been a key aspect of Ortega and Murillo’s consolidation of power. Galeano, who previously worked for the Associated Press in Nicaragua, stated he felt a responsibility to expose injustices by the government. His arrest has drawn criticism from human rights and press freedom groups, as well as Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who called for the U.S. to distinguish between criminals and political exiles. Salazar emphasized that Galeano should not be returned to the dictatorship that persecuted him.