Judge says no to Intervention in ICE agent’s interstate extradition case as Christian Castro is charged with assault
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. on Wednesday, August 26, refused to order Cameron County sheriff to release Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro from Texas’ custody despite Minnesota officials’ urgent pleas.
Under Texas law, Castro faced automatic release Thursday morning after completing a required 90-day detention period.
Castro stood accused in Minnesota of four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime stemming from a January 14 incident during an immigration enforcement operation in north Minneapolis.
That morning, the ICE agent fired a gun through the front door of a residential home, striking 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg.
Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national, was struck during the chaos of what authorities described as Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown initiative.
When confronted by prosecutors, Castro claimed Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked him with a broomstick and shovel. Video evidence from a nearby camera, however, contradicted his account entirely.
Security footage showed Castro’s version of events never occurred, undermining the narrative he presented under oath.
The extradition battle
Minnesota authorities arrested Castro in Texas on May 29 and immediately sought his return to face charges. The ICE agent remained locked up at the Cameron County Jail throughout the ordeal, but state officials grew increasingly concerned about his continued detention as the 90-day window approached.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a request last week for a temporary restraining order, asking the federal court to prevent Castro’s release and push Governor Greg Abbott to sign the necessary extradition paperwork.
Investigators documented phone calls Castro made from jail to a woman living in Mexico, conversations where he discussed marrying her and purchasing property south of the border once released, making him a flight risk.
Minnesota’s response
Ellison responded swiftly, issuing a statement expressing strong disagreement with the judge’s order even as he vowed to continue litigating. He noted the ruling itself acknowledged Castro as a flight risk and conceded that Abbott’s deliberation had lasted an “atypically long duration.”
“Greg Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals. But regardless of today’s ruling, Christian Castro will not escape justice in Minnesota,” he added
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, whose office prosecutes cases in Minneapolis, took a sharper tone at a news conference, accusing Abbott of unfairly harboring the former ICE agent.
“Gov. Abbott still has the ability to prevent Christian Castro from walking out of jail. He can choose to stop harboring a fugitive by simply signing the extradition paperwork today. If Castro walks out of jail tomorrow and disappears into Mexico, it will be the fault of one person – Greg Abbott,” she stated.
The 90-day window closes
Castro’s arrest in late May meant his detention window terminated on Thursday, August 27. Minnesota officials had one final slim opportunity to appeal or seek other remedies, but their options had largely evaporated.
The incident has occurred during a particularly tense period in Minnesota, with the Trump administration using alleged fraud in the state’s social service programs as justification for the intensive immigration enforcement operation.
ICE has continued to face criticism
The Castro case arrived amid mounting documented criticism of ICE operations nationwide. Americans have urged the government to hold ICE accountable for a growing pattern of violence, racial profilingand constitutional violations, citing documented incidents of abuse, unchecked use of force, lack of transparency and the erosion of due process in immigration enforcement.
Civil rights organizations and Democratic lawmakers pushed back against expanded federal funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection, while many have voiced concerns for the living conditions inside ICE detention centres.