Could Joe Giudice be heading to Italy sooner than fans thought?
Teresa Giudice's husband, whose full name is Giuseppe Giudice, has asked the court to lift his stay of removal so he can be released from the custody of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) and return to Italy during the pendency of his deportation case. Should Joe win his case, he will urge USICE to facilitate his return to the U.S.
Joe has been held by USICE at the Clinton County Correctional Center in Lock Haven, Pa. ever since he was released from federal prison in March 2019. As fans will recall, Joe started his federal prison sentence in March 2016 after pleading guilty to fraud charges in 2014. In 2018, a judge ruled that Joe would be deported to Italy upon finishing his prison sentence. However, Joe filed an appeal to fight the deportation order later that year. In April 2019, a source told E! News, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled against Joe. His legal team then filed a petition for the federal court to review the appeals decision. Last week, an immigration judge denied the petitioner's application for release on bond—noting Joe would have to remain in USICE custody until the case is settled.
While Teresa and her four daughters—Gia, Milania, Gabriella and Audriana—have visited Joe during his time in USICE custody, the Bravo star knows he's still "missing out on so much."
"When you're a mom and your children are hurting, it just kills you so much," she told Bravo Insider. "If I could take any of this pain away from them, I wish I could."
E! News has reached out to Joe's immigration attorney for comment.