Trump welcomes Cuban immigrant freed from Florida detention

President Donald Trump publicly welcomed home a Cuban immigrant who was recently released from a controversial Florida detention facility, a message that has drawn surprise and confusion given the president’s staunch immigration enforcement policies. Justo Betancourt, 54, was freed from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on May 14 after a federal judge in Fort Myers granted his habeas corpus petition, ruling he could not be detained indefinitely while deportation efforts remained stalled.

Betancourt had been detained for more than six months after being taken into custody during a routine immigration check-in in October 2025. According to court documents, he entered the United States in 1990 and was later granted lawful status. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2020 following criminal convictions, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Because he is a Cuban national and could not be readily deported, he was released under supervision, requiring regular check-ins. He was taken back into custody during one of those appointments. Authorities attempted to remove him to Mexico in January, but he was denied entry due to his medical condition.