John E. Steele, an immigration judge from Florida who controversially ordered the release of a Cuban plane hijacker awaiting deportation, has passed away. The news of his passing came hours after Florida House Rep Greg Steube brought an immigration motion against Judge Steele.
Event Context
Miakel Guerra Morales was released from ICE custody, due to his illegal immigrant status, following an order from Judge John Steele on July 8. Congressman Greg Steube brought a motion against at the House accusing him of “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
The motion by Rep. Steube related to the plane hijacking incident. He called the order for the release of the Cuban as a “judicial overreach.”
“This is exactly the kind of activist judicial overreach the American people are sick of,” Rep. Steube said. “Judge Steele had every legal justification to keep a convicted plane hijacker off our streets, and he chose to let him go instead.”
But before the motion could reach a potential culmination, the New York Post reported that Judge John E. Steele had passed away “suddenly.” The Post confirmed that a law clerk for Chief Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the Middle District of Florida. Judge Steele served in the same district.
source
Both the clerk and a “legal source” in Miami confirmed the sudden death of Judge Steele. However, the circumstances and his cause of death was not immediately clear.
This story is being updated.
