Dimitri Vorbe: US judge orders bond hearing for Haitian businessman

A federal judge in Miami has ordered U.S. immigration authorities to hold a bond hearing for Haitian businessman Dimitri Vorbe by August 24, 2026, or release him under reasonable supervision.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles issued the ruling following a habeas corpus petition. The judge determined that the government cannot maintain indefinite mandatory detention based solely on a foreign policy determination by the Secretary of State. The court noted that federal law strictly defines the categories of immigrants subject to mandatory detention, and Vorbe’s situation does not fall within those categories.

Vorbe, 52, has been held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Krome North detention center in Florida since his arrest in South Miami on September 23, 2025. His detention involves a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act related to foreign policy considerations.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has alleged that Vorbe participated in a campaign of violence and gang support that contributed to the destabilization of Haiti, arguing his presence is contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests. Vorbe and his legal team have denied these allegations, and no public evidence has been provided to support them, nor has an immigration judge ordered his deportation.