A federal judge in St. Paul on Friday granted the return of a Minnesota man deported to the Central African Republic, according to the man’s attorney, following a rally outside a courthouse.
Kenis Lopez, 44, was detained during Operation Metro Surge and is being held at a detention center in the Central African Republic. WCCO spoke with him Friday with help from a translator.
Lopez said he is a political refugee from Nicaragua and fears for his safety if he is returned. He arrived in Minnesota in 2022 and has worked in construction since. He was arrested by ICE agents in January while on his way to work. He has no criminal record in the U.S., but Lopez said an ICE agent told him his paperwork was fraudulent. He has since been held in detention centers in Texas and other states.
Lopez said agents questioned him roughly and were not polite. He also said he was physically threatened and that agents shot rubber bullets at him.
In August, Lopez was sent to the Central African Republic in what is known as a “third country deportation.” He said he told officials he feared for his life and his safety, and that the country wasn’t his.
The Central African Republic is one of more than 30 countries that have agreed to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. The State Department warns Americans not to travel there, citing widespread insecurity. The Trump administration deported a group of about 20 migrants to the country in June, and CBS News obtained government documents showing more deportation flights to Africa in late August.
His supporters rallied outside the federal courthouse while the judge heard arguments on why he should be allowed to return to Minnesota. Lopez’s attorney told WCCO early Friday evening that the judge granted his return.
Lucho Gomez, who knows Lopez personally, said showing up was important. Both are members of CTUL, a Minneapolis workers center that has been trying to help people detained by ICE.
“We want to bring Kenis back home, and we want him home now,” Gomez said before the Judge’s decision.
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on third-country deportations in December. In September, the court temporarily allowed the Trump administration to resume the policy while it considers the case.
Source: www.cbsnews.com
