He offered to pay his own way home, but a Chilean man arrested by ICE remains stuck in jail

Gonzalo Torres was arrested in Burnsville on Jan. 6, and signed a voluntary departure agreement Jan. 8. He’s stuck in a Louisiana jail after the government refused to let him buy his own ticket home, and after three flights organized by the government were canceled.

By: Andrew Hazzard

Outlets: Sahan Journal

Published: February 6, 2026

Words: 1,271

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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Gonzalo Torres was ready to leave the United States. Now he’s stuck in a Louisiana jail.

Torres, 29, and his girlfriend Constanza Palma, built a life in Minnesota, working multiple jobs and renting an apartment in Burnsville. But as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents swarmed the Twin Cities this year, they made plans to return to their native Chile in early February.

On Jan. 6, Torres went out to take photos of …

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