Jose Allende returned home to Palm Bay on June 30, 2026, nearly 10 months after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him during a raid in Brevard County in September 2025. Allende, 58, was reunited with his daughter Sheena at a local hospital, where he had been released after spending months in federal custody. Sheena said the moment felt like a 'boulder was lifted off my chest.'
Allende had lived in the U.S. for decades, arriving legally from Cuba through the Freedom Flights program in the 1980s. He held a Social Security number, a Florida driver’s license, and ran a local painting business in Palm Bay. However, a criminal record from the 1990s and lack of U.S. citizenship led to a deportation order. ICE agents arrested him in September 2025 during a routine immigration check.
Sheena, 32, said she struggled to cope with her father’s absence. 'I haven’t slept, I haven’t eaten correctly in nine months,' she told WESH. 'It felt like finally, I no longer have to grieve that he’s gone.' Allende, who was released from federal custody in Miami earlier this month, looked frail but smiled when he saw his daughter. 'He didn’t look well, but he was happy,' Sheena said. 'And that’s all that mattered to me.'
Allende’s case highlights the complex legal challenges faced by long-term residents without citizenship. His attorney, Mark Thompson, said Allende had applied for legal status multiple times but was denied due to his past record. 'This is a family that has contributed to this community for decades,' Thompson said. 'They’re not criminals—they’re people who made mistakes years ago.'
Sheena said her father will now live with her in a temporary apartment while he seeks permanent housing. The family plans to file a petition to adjust his immigration status. 'We’re just grateful he’s home,' she said. 'Now we can start rebuilding.'