Judge who freed Cuban plane hijacker dies suddenly days after a controversial ruling
A federal judge whose recent immigration ruling sparked a political backlash has died just days after the decision drew national attention. His ruling had already moved the case beyond the courtroom and into Congress, where Republican lawmakers launched an impeachment effort over the order.
The development comes as the legal dispute over the detention of a convicted Cuban plane hijacker continues to unfold. While lawmakers had shifted their focus toward the judge’s handling of the case, attention is now turning to what his death could mean for the broader debate surrounding immigration detention and judicial authority.
Judge John E. Steele, a senior judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, died at the age of 77, according to confirmation from the court. The New York Post reported that the circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly disclosed.
Not everyone was happy with that decision
Steele’s death came days after he ordered the release of Maikel Guerra Morales from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a decision that immediately drew criticism from Republican lawmakers. Guerra Morales hijacked a Cuban commuter aircraft in 2003 and forced the flight to land at Key West International Airport. He later served more than 20 years in prison after being convicted of aircraft piracy and conspiracy to interfere with a flight crew.
After completing his prison sentence, ICE took him into custody in December 2025 while seeking to deport him. Federal officials intended to remove him to Mexico after they were unable to send him back to Cuba.
In the order issued on July 8, the judge wrote that Guerra Morales’ “detention exceeds six months and there is no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future.” He further stated, “The Government cannot lock individuals in a cell indefinitely as a workaround for a stalled deportation process.”
According to the court’s decision, the government had not shown that it had made meaningful progress toward removing Guerra Morales to Mexico. Steele also noted that deportation to Cuba remained unavailable because of protections under the Convention Against Torture.
The ruling quickly became a political issue. Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube introduced articles of impeachment against Steele, accusing the Clinton-appointed judge of committing “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Steube’s attack on Judge Steele comes as the politics around ICE grow even more polarized. While he argues the agency should have been allowed to keep holding Guerra Morales, figures such as Zohran Mamdani are advancing the opposite argument — that ICE itself should be abolished.
The impeachment resolution was introduced in the House shortly before news of Steele’s death emerged. The order focused on the government’s burden to justify continued immigration detention after six months, citing Supreme Court guidance that detention cannot continue indefinitely without a realistic prospect of removal. In doing so, the case also underscores the Supreme Court’s broader role in shaping the boundaries of core constitutional rights.
Court officials confirmed Steele’s death but have not released additional information regarding the cause or circumstances. There has also been no indication from authorities that his death was connected in any way to his recent ruling.
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