Rep. Steube Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Judge Who Released Cuban Plane Hijacker from ICE Custody

WASHINGTON-U.S. Representative Greg Steube announced today he introduced articles of impeachment against John E. Steele, Senior District Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, for high crimes and misdemeanors after he ordered the release of a convicted plane hijacker from ICE detention, disregarding the immediate danger the individual posed to the public and giving the executive branch less than 24 hours to appeal.

"This is exactly the kind of activist judicial overreach the American people are sick of. ICE had a convicted aircraft pirate in custody while pursuing his removal, and Judge Steele ordered him released within 24 hours despite obvious public safety concerns," said Rep. Greg Steube. "Judges do not get to override the safety of the American people because it is inconvenient for their docket. I introduced these articles of impeachment because federal judges must be held accountable when they abuse their office and put criminal aliens ahead of the communities they are sworn to protect."

The Department of Homeland Security also condemned Judge Steele's decision, with DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis calling it "yet another example of an activist judge trying to thwart President Trump's mandate from the American people to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country."

On July 8, 2026, Judge Steele granted a habeas corpus petition and ordered the release of Miakel Guerra Morales from an ICE detention facility. Guerra Morales is a Cuban national who took part in the 2003 hijacking of a commuter aircraft in Cuba, forcing the pilot to land in Key West, Florida. He was sentenced to 264 months in prison for aircraft piracy and conspiracy to interfere with a flight crew. After completing his sentence, ICE detained Guerra Morales in December 2025 while pursuing his removal from the country.

The articles of impeachment allege that Judge Steele abused his judicial discretion, ignored federal regulations authorizing continued detention of aliens who pose a special danger to the public, and ordered Guerra Morales' release within 24 hours, denying the executive branch the opportunity to pursue appellate review. The resolution states that Judge Steele cited an alleged case management backlog as a basis for releasing an individual convicted of aircraft piracy back into American communities.

The resolution argues that Judge Steele's ruling placed the interests of a criminal illegal alien above the security of the United States and the American people, and that his conduct constitutes an egregious dereliction of duty unbecoming of a federal judicial officer.

The full text of the resolution is available here.

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