U.S. immigration officials say they are considering moving Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles to another country.
The U.S. office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said this week it is moving forward to carry out Mr. Posada's removal from the United States. But it ruled out sending him to Cuba or Venezuela, because he might be tortured there.
Posada's lawyer told a federal court Tuesday his client, a naturalized Venezuelan citizen, should be released while awaiting a decision on whether he will be deported.
That decision is expected by April.
Venezuela and Cuba want the anti-Castro activist extradited to Venezuela, to stand trial for the bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976. Cubans staged a huge anti-U.S. rally in Havana Tuesday, to coincide with Posada's court date.
The 77-year-old was arrested in the United States in May, 2005.