Minnesota is taking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to court after he refused to extradite an ICE agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant during Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Abbott on Tuesday, asking a federal judge to force the Republican governor to turn over Christian Castro, a 52-year-old ICE agent who has been sitting in a South Texas jail since May, the New York Times reports.
Castro is wanted in Minneapolis on four felony assault charges stemming from a January shooting.
According to Minnesota prosecutors, Castro fired a shot through the front door of a Minneapolis duplex on Jan. 14 after a high-speed chase. The bullet struck Julio C. Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan immigrant.
The case took another turn after ICE suspended Castro for allegedly giving investigators a false account of what happened.
Castro reportedly claimed that three attackers had brutally assaulted him with a broom and shovel, forcing him to fire his weapon.
But surveillance video told a very different story.
Minnesota officials say the footage contradicted Castro’s account and led to his suspension from ICE.
Now, Castro is caught in the middle of a growing showdown between two states — and Abbott is refusing to hand him over.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz submitted an extradition request, but Abbott has refused to act on it.
That could become a serious problem. Under Texas law, a person can be held on an extradition warrant for up to 90 days. Castro has been in custody since May, meaning he could potentially be released before the end of the month if Abbott continues to do nothing.
“Governor Abbott is trying to shield Castro from being held accountable for these serious charges by refusing to extradite him to Minnesota,” Ellison said, arguing that Abbott’s inaction violates both federal and Texas law.
Abbott’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Minnesota officials argue that governors are legally obligated to surrender people wanted on criminal warrants from another state once their identity has been established.
And they say Abbott’s refusal is highly unusual.
Ellison and Minneapolis County Attorney Mary Moriarty said officials in Abbott’s office told them this week that the governor did not intend to act on Minnesota’s request.
Moriarty is now warning that Castro could flee to Mexico if he is released.
The fight also has a much bigger political backdrop.
Abbott has been one of the country’s most aggressive Republican governors when it comes to pushing states to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Walz and Ellison, meanwhile, have been outspoken critics of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Now, their dispute has landed in federal court.
Minnesota filed the lawsuit in the Southern District of Texas and is asking a judge to order Abbott to sign the extradition paperwork.
And the state wants the court to move quickly. If Castro cannot immediately be extradited, Minnesota is asking the judge to prevent Texas from releasing him while the legal battle over his custody plays out.
