Judge orders ICE to bring back Nicaraguan man deported to Central African Republic

A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday ordered the Trump administration to bring back Kenis Adalberto Lopez Gonzalez, a Nicaraguan man deported in August to the Central African Republic. He had never visited that country and had no connection to it. ¹

Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota told the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to return Lopez "as soon as practicable." The order says the agencies must take every reasonable step in their power to do so. ¹

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A man the courts had said could not be sent home

Lopez came to the U.S. in 2022 and turned himself in to immigration authorities right away. In August 2024, a judge ruled he could not be deported to Nicaragua because of concerns for his safety there. ¹

Court records say he lived in Shakopee, Minnesota, ran a construction company and had no criminal record. ICE detained him in January during Operation Metro Surge, a large enforcement push in Minnesota. He was held in several detention centers before being deported. ¹²

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The court found that in the Central African Republic he has been "a target for violent criminals." It also found he cannot leave the country "for lack of status" and that he "fears bodily harm if he goes outside." The State Department has rated the country Level 4, "do not travel," since January. ¹

What the judge did and did not decide

The judge did not rule on whether third-country deportation is legal in general. At this early stage, he found that immigration officials likely violated Lopez's due-process rights when they took him into custody this year. ¹

Government lawyers asked the court to wait for the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear a case on third-country deportations in December. The judge ordered Lopez's return anyway. ²

His lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told the Minnesota Reformer that ICE violated Lopez's constitutional rights and hardly even denied it. Newsweek said it had asked ICE, DHS and Lopez's attorney for comment. ¹

The administration's defense

Last week DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said agreements with several countries let the U.S. remove people the administration calls dangerous. Lopez's case does not fit that description. He had no criminal record, according to the court's findings. ¹

Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said Lopez had "fled political violence" in Nicaragua and held a work permit and a court order blocking his deportation. ¹

According to the tracking site Third Country Deportation Watch, more than 170 people had been sent to the Central African Republic as of Oct. 27. The site counts 20,000 people sent to Mexico and 3,048 to Guatemala. ¹

That matters because this case came out of a hearing in which a judge found the government likely broke its own rules. The question now is whether ICE will move quickly to bring Lopez home, and whether other people sent to unfamiliar countries are in similar danger. The reports do not say whether the government will appeal. ¹²

The Record

1. Aug 1, 2024A judge ruled Lopez could not be deported to Nicaragua because of safety concerns ¹
2. Jan 15, 2026ICE detained Lopez in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge ²
3. Aug 1, 2026Lopez was deported to the Central African Republic ¹
4. Oct 30, 2026Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan ordered the government to arrange Lopez's return ¹²

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<h2>Judge orders ICE to bring back Nicaraguan man deported to Central African Republic</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/judge-orders-ice-to-bring-back-nicaraguan-man-deported-to-central-african-republic">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, October 31, 2026.</em></p> <p>A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday ordered the Trump administration to bring back Kenis Adalberto Lopez Gonzalez, a Nicaraguan man deported in August to the Central African Republic. He had never visited that country and had no connection to it.</p> <p>Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota told the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to return Lopez &quot;as soon as practicable.&quot; The order says the agencies must take every reasonable step in their power to do so.</p> <h2>A man the courts had said could not be sent home</h2> <p>Lopez came to the U.S. in 2022 and turned himself in to immigration authorities right away. In August 2024, a judge ruled he could not be deported to Nicaragua because of concerns for his safety there.</p> <p>Court records say he lived in Shakopee, Minnesota, ran a construction company and had no criminal record. ICE detained him in January during Operation Metro Surge, a large enforcement push in Minnesota. He was held in several detention centers before being deported.</p> <p>The court found that in the Central African Republic he has been &quot;a target for violent criminals.&quot; It also found he cannot leave the country &quot;for lack of status&quot; and that he &quot;fears bodily harm if he goes outside.&quot; The State Department has rated the country Level 4, &quot;do not travel,&quot; since January.</p> <h2>What the judge did and did not decide</h2> <p>The judge did not rule on whether third-country deportation is legal in general. At this early stage, he found that immigration officials likely violated Lopez&#39;s due-process rights when they took him into custody this year.</p> <p>Government lawyers asked the court to wait for the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear a case on third-country deportations in December. The judge ordered Lopez&#39;s return anyway.</p> <p>His lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told the Minnesota Reformer that ICE violated Lopez&#39;s constitutional rights and hardly even denied it. Newsweek said it had asked ICE, DHS and Lopez&#39;s attorney for comment.</p> <h2>The administration&#39;s defense</h2> <p>Last week DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said agreements with several countries let the U.S. remove people the administration calls dangerous. Lopez&#39;s case does not fit that description. He had no criminal record, according to the court&#39;s findings.</p> <p>Rep. Angie Craig, a Minnesota Democrat, said Lopez had &quot;fled political violence&quot; in Nicaragua and held a work permit and a court order blocking his deportation.</p> <p>According to the tracking site Third Country Deportation Watch, more than 170 people had been sent to the Central African Republic as of Oct. 27. The site counts 20,000 people sent to Mexico and 3,048 to Guatemala.</p> <p>That matters because this case came out of a hearing in which a judge found the government likely broke its own rules. The question now is whether ICE will move quickly to bring Lopez home, and whether other people sent to unfamiliar countries are in similar danger. The reports do not say whether the government will appeal.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/judge-orders-ice-to-bring-back-nicaraguan-man-deported-to-central-african-republic">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/judge-orders-ice-to-bring-back-nicaraguan-man-deported-to-central-african-republic.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “ICE Ordered To Return Man Deported To African Nation He Has No Ties To” (2026-10-31). newsweek.com/ice-ordered-to-return-man-deported-to-african-n
2. MPR News, “Nicaragua man seeks return to Minnesota after being deported to Central African Republic” (2026-10-30). mprnews.org/story/2026/10/30/nicaragua-man-seeks-return-to-m

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