Orlando music venue owner Uncle Lou detained by ICE after alcohol licensing raid
May 11, 2026·Location: Orlando, FL
Country of origin: Jamaica

Cleon 'Uncle Lou' Williams, 62, a Jamaican-born owner of Uncle Lou's Entertainment Hall in Orlando's Mills 50 district, was detained by ICE on May 9-10, 2026, following his arrest during a raid by the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco investigating alcohol licensing violations at his venue. ICE placed an immigration detainer on Williams due to an expired visa, and he was booked into Orange County Corrections Facility with no criminal charges filed. Williams has operated the prominent music venue since 2005 and is widely recognized in Orlando's music community for supporting emerging artists, offering free performance opportunities to hundreds of local indie bands over two decades. Community members including U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and State Rep. Anna Eskamani expressed concern about his detention, with Frost visiting him in jail. Friends described Williams as 'a pure light and joy' and a pillar of the community, and fundraisers raised over $28,000 for his legal representation.
Timeline
Sources
- ‘Uncle Lou’s’ raid: owner arrested for serving hard liquor, expired visa
WFTV·May 14, 2026·archived copy
- Orlando venue owner ‘Uncle Lou’ detained on immigration hold
clickorlando.com·May 10, 2026·archived copy
- 'Uncle Lou' in Orange County jail under ICE hold
orlandoweekly.com·May 10, 2026·archived copy
- Orlando’s music scene in turmoil after ‘Uncle Lou’ detained by ICE
Orlando Sentinel·May 11, 2026·archived copy
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