Judge blocks deportation of witness in Minneapolis ICE shooting
A federal judge has ordered the government not to deport Venezuelan immigrant Valentina Moreno, a key eyewitness in the Jan. 14 north Minneapolis ICE operation where an agent shot and wounded a man during a chaotic street confrontation with protesters. Court records show Moreno, now detained in New Mexico after transfers from Minnesota and Texas, is the girlfriend of defendant Alfredo Aljorna, one of three men charged federally after DHS claimed they attacked an ICE agent with a broom and a shovel. Aljorna asserts that Moreno and other witnesses can testify he never struck the agent, and the judge warned there would be consequences if she were removed before she can testify, especially after the government abruptly fast‑tracked her immigration hearing by six months to this Friday. The halt comes amid widespread skepticism of DHS narratives about Metro Surge incidents, with local reporting and habeas rulings already undercutting federal claims in several Twin Cities raids and shootings. Homeland Security officials have not responded to questions about why Moreno was moved out of state or why her case was suddenly accelerated.
📌 Key Facts
- A federal judge ordered ICE not to deport Venezuelan immigrant Valentina Moreno, citing her role as a witness to an ICE shooting in north Minneapolis.
- Moreno is the girlfriend of defendant Alfredo Aljorna, who says she can testify he never hit the ICE agent during the Jan. 14 incident.
- The government advanced Moreno’s immigration hearing by about six months to this Friday and moved her from Minnesota to detention in Texas and then New Mexico before the judge intervened.
- The Jan. 14 operation left one man shot and three men — Julio Sosa‑Celis, Aljorna, and Gabrial Hernandez‑Ledezma — under federal charges, with DHS saying two have criminal histories and one had an outstanding deportation order.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, the incarceration rate for illegal immigrants was 613 per 100,000, compared to 1,221 per 100,000 for native-born Americans.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
In 2023, the incarceration rate for Venezuelans (among certain immigrant groups) was 241 per 100,000.
Illegal Immigrant Incarceration Rates, 2010–2023 — Cato Institute
The Venezuelan refugee crisis is driven by a deep economic crisis, political repression, democratic backsliding, and human rights violations in Venezuela.
Venezuelan Humanitarian and Refugee Crisis — Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy annually.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
ICE arrested a previously deported Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member in Minneapolis for theft in 2025.
ICE Continues Arresting Worst of the Worst in Sanctuary Minneapolis, Including Pedophiles, Gang Members — Department of Homeland Security
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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