Judge Frees Three Cubans Convicted of Murder from ICE Custody

A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered the release of four immigrants detained by ICE, three of them Cuban nationals with homicide convictions, in a decision that has sparked fierce controversy between the judiciary and the Trump administration.

The Court’s Decision

Judge John deGravelles of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana issued the release order on February 6, 2026. His central argument: the detainees had been held for an extended period with no realistic prospect of deportation, as their home countries — Cuba and Ethiopia — refuse to accept their return.

The ruling draws on Supreme Court precedents that limit the indefinite detention of immigrants when there is no reasonable likelihood of deportation.

The Cuban Nationals Released

Of the four individuals freed, three are Cuban citizens with extensive criminal histories:

Luis Gaston-Sanchez has convictions for homicide, assault, resisting an officer, concealing stolen property, and two counts of robbery. His deportation order dates back to September 2001 — more than 24 years without Cuba accepting his return.

Ricardo Blanco Chomat was convicted of homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, burglary, robbery, larceny, and selling cocaine. His deportation order was issued in March 2002.

Francisco Rodriguez-Romero was convicted of homicide and a weapons offense. His case is the oldest: the deportation order was issued in May 1995, over 30 years ago.

The fourth individual released is Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian national convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The Core Problem: Cuba Won’t Accept Deportees

The case exposes a central dilemma in U.S. immigration policy toward Cuba. Historically, the Cuban government has severely restricted accepting deported citizens, particularly those with serious criminal records.

While the Trump administration recently secured the first deportation flight of 2026 carrying 170 Cubans, those cases mainly involved recent migrants detained at the border. Cases involving Cubans with decades-old criminal convictions and deportation orders are significantly more complex.

This creates a legal limbo: ICE cannot deport them, but it also cannot detain them indefinitely under existing case law.

Government Reaction

The Department of Homeland Security’s response was immediate and forceful.

“The ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims,” declared Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary. “Releasing these monsters is inexcusably reckless.”

DHS labeled Judge deGravelles an “activist judge” and reaffirmed its commitment to continuing deportations: “We are applying the law as written. If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”

Angola Prison as Detention Center

The four detainees were held at the “Louisiana Lockup,” a space within the famed Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. Since September 2025, ICE has rented space at this facility to hold immigrants with criminal backgrounds.

Angola Prison, one of the largest in the United States, has been historically controversial for its conditions. Its use as an immigration detention center has drawn additional criticism from civil rights organizations.

An Escalating Conflict

This decision adds to a series of clashes between the judiciary and the Trump administration over immigration policy. While the government pushes for mass deportations of Cubans and arrests of immigrants with criminal records, some federal courts are enforcing constitutional limits on prolonged detention.

For the Cuban community, the case illustrates the complexity of a migration relationship shaped by decades of diplomatic tensions between Washington and Havana.