Costa Rican content creator Julián Valverde was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Florida on Sunday, Sept. 20, after five days in detention. His immigration case remains open. Valverde, known to his social media followers as Julián Valjota, was arrested on the 16th in Polk County, Florida, for driving with a license that had expired more than six months earlier. A $250 bond was set on that charge, but he remained in custody under an ICE detainer, as we reported Friday.
According to Valverde’s account, relayed by Costa Rican journalist Elías Alvarado, he was transferred Sunday to an ICE detention center in Tampa. As he was being processed, an agent reviewed his file and told him he did not understand why he was still being held, since Valverde has no criminal record and an immigration process already underway in the United States.
Valverde said the agent told him he would ask an immigration judge to consider releasing him. Valverde said the judge authorized his release, and that the process took about 30 minutes. Valverde said he was not required to post an immigration bond and was not fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. He said he left the facility alone, took a taxi home and reunited with his sister.
ICE has not publicly commented on the case or confirmed the conditions of his release. The account of how the release unfolded comes from Valverde himself. In a video posted to his social media accounts this morning, Valverde appeared emotional as he thanked followers for their support and said he was healthy. He acknowledged that he had been driving with an expired license and did not offer it as an excuse, urging followers to take his experience as a lesson and to be responsible.
Valverde also said he does not consider himself a criminal, noting that the underlying offense was a license six months out of date. He said he would share more about his time in custody at a later date, and in a subsequent post addressed negative comments about his case, saying some of what had been written about him was untrue.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its Consulate General in Miami has closely followed the case since Thursday, when it was notified of the arrest, and has remained in contact with U.S. authorities. The ministry said it welcomed the release and will continue to provide Valverde with consular assistance.
Release from detention does not resolve Valverde’s immigration status. According to ICE’s public guidance, most people with open immigration cases are not held in detention, which the agency uses in certain circumstances to ensure a person appears for proceedings, to carry out a removal or for public safety reasons, while U.S. law makes detention mandatory in some cases.
Valverde has not said what stage his immigration case is in or what his next steps will be. He moved to the United States in 2021, seeking to improve his circumstances and support his sister. The case drew wide attention in Costa Rica, where Valverde has a large online following, and highlighted how a routine traffic stop can escalate into immigration detention for noncitizens in Florida.
