Federal judge orders deported man back to Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Minnesota deportation case took a sharp turn after a federal judge stepped in, ordering the government to return him to Minnesota.

How Kenis Gonzalez ended up in Africa

His path to Minnesota:

Kenis Gonzalez is originally from Nicaragua. He came to the United States in 2022 through the U.S.-Mexico border, officials allowed him to enter and he eventually moved to Shakopee.

What happened in 2024:

In 2024, an immigration judge ordered Gonzalez deported but held off on enforcing that order because of concerns for his safety if he returned to Nicaragua. The judge released him under an order of supervision.

Federal agents detained Gonzalez during the immigration crackdown in January, moved him to Texas and eventually sent him to the Central African Republic in August. That is not his home country, and it is a place the government warns people against traveling to.

What the judge ordered Friday

Why the order matters:

A federal judge ordered the government to bring Gonzalez back to Minnesota at its own expense, noting that federal agents had no reason to detain him in the first place.

What his attorney said:

At a news conference on Friday, his attorney, Courtney Moran, said federal agents shot Gonzalez with rubber bullets. Photos of his injuries were included in court filings. 

"He would rather stay in the United States and die than be sent to Africa to die, and so one of the ICE officers I think said that, you know, something like that: ‘We can make that happen for you.’ And then they were shot with rubber pellets, I believe," said Moran.

The other side:

Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Source: FOX 9's Mike Manzoni, court filings and comments from attorney Courtney Moran.