Federal DHS Targets Madison Business Owner Pardoned by Gov. Evers
Federal officials still trying to deport Mexican restaurant owner after his release from detention.
Señor Machetes Mexican Grill is pictured in downtown Madison on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Sarah Lehr/WPR
Federal officials say they are still trying to deport a Madison restaurant owner who was released from immigration detention last month.
Immigration officials detained 50-year-old Noel Quintana Gonzalez at a Chicago airport while he was returning from a trip to visit family in Mexico. Quintana Gonzalez and his wife own Señor Machetes Mexican Grill, which has its main location about a block from the state Capitol in addition to an outpost at a newly opened food hall nearby.
Although Quintana Gonzalez had a green card, federal officials said he was detained because of his 20-year-old conviction of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers agreed to pardon Quintana Gonzalez for that felony conviction in February, and Quintana Gonzalez was eventually released from an out-of-state county jail. In all, he spent 85 days behind bars at the behest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
“Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers pardoned him in attempt to thwart his removal from the United States, which means this convicted drug dealer will be able to remain in Wisconsin communities,” a Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement provided to WPR. “Gonzalez has been released from ICE custody and DHS is appealing the case so we can remove this criminal from our country.”
Since his detention, Quintana Gonzalez has attracted an outpouring support from his downtown Madison neighbors. Several elected officials have spoken up to defend Quintana Gonzalez’s character and to condemn the actions of ICE, including state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, who is running for governor.
When granting the pardon application, Evers cited Quintana Gonzalez’s contributions to his community, which included volunteer work and the founding of multiple businesses, according to the governor’s order.
“This nonviolent offense occurred over nineteen years ago, and Mr. Quintana Gonzalez has shown personal growth and positive adjustment,” the order said.
Evers issued that pardon on Feb. 13, after Quintana Gonzalez’s attorney, Kate Drury, wrote to the governor’s pardon advisory board on Feb. 6, asking the board to consider an “urgent request” on an “expedited basis.”
“Because the conviction was for an aggravated felony offense, Mr. Quintana Gonzalez is bond ineligible and remains in ICE custody,” Drury wrote on Feb. 6. “The effect of the conviction bars Mr. Quintana Gonzalez from asserting many defenses against removal. Not only will this conviction cause DHS to strip Mr. Quintana Gonzalez’s legal permanent resident status, but, if removed because of this aggravated felony conviction, Mr. Quintana Gonzalez could be subject to a permanent bar to re-entry.”
Drury declined to comment for this story.
In a statement, a DHS spokesperson told WPR that a green card is “a privilege, not a right.”
“Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused,” the statement continued. “In addition to immigration removal proceedings, lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention.”
In 2006, a Dane County judge sentenced Quintana Gonzalez to three years’ probation after he pleaded guilty to the cocaine charge.
“I made bad choices,” Quintana Gonalez wrote in his pardon application. “I hung out with the wrong people and I did not maintain sobriety.”
He added, “It happened because I was a completely different person then than I am today.”
At the time, Quintana Gonzalez did not realize that his conviction could result in the loss of his legal residency status, according to his pardon application. He had been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. since 2022, the application says.
“My lawyer tells me that a pardon is the only viable opportunity for me to defend against the removal proceedings that have been initiated against me and keep my family together,” Quintana Gonzalez wrote. “I am in a detention facility because of it and ineligible for bond while my case in immigration court is pending. This 20-year-old old conviction is quite literally destroying the life that I have worked so hard to rebuild.”
DHS vows appeal after Madison restauranteur released from immigration detention was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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