Tiger King Star's Husband Detained by ICE Amid Immigration Crackdown

Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado, has publicly pleaded with former President Donald Trump for a pardon following the deportation and detention of his husband, Jorge Marquez Flores, at an ICE detention center. Marquez Flores, 33, was arrested for unlawfully reentering the U.S. from Mexico after previously being deported and is currently facing a hearing to determine whether he will remain in the U.S. or be returned to Mexico. The couple met while serving time in federal prison and were married at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, where Joe Exotic is serving a 21-year sentence for a murder-for-hire conviction. Exotic expressed his hope that their marriage might help Marquez Flores obtain U.S. citizenship and criticized the harsh treatment his husband received after deportation, including an alleged attack by cartel members. Joe Exotic also referenced his personal hardships, including losing his life's work and family members, and appealed for clemency citing the injustices he claims to have suffered. The case has drawn attention to immigration enforcement actions and the personal impact on families involved.