US Judge Rejects Minnesota's Bid to Force Texas Governor to Extradite ICE Agent Christian Castro

A federal judge has dismissed a request to order the extradition of Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who faces charges in Minnesota for allegedly shooting a man during an immigration raid and subsequently lying about the incident.

The ruling issued on Wednesday addresses the legal status of Christian Castro, who has been held in a Texas county jail since May. Officials in Minnesota have been pushing for his extradition so he can face charges of assault and falsely reporting a crime in Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis.

Under Texas regulations, authorities cannot hold the subject of an extradition request for more than 90 days without transferring or releasing them, with the deadline for Christian Castro approaching on Thursday. Minnesota filed a lawsuit arguing that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has intentionally stalled the extradition for political motives. However, Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr ruled that he lacks the authority to intervene because Governor Abbott has not yet taken official action to violate the law.

The charges against Christian Castro stem from the non-fatal shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis on January 14 during an immigration raid executed as part of Operation Metro Surge, a mass deportation initiative overseen by President Donald Trump. Prosecutors state that Christian Castro shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis through the front door of a Minneapolis home and later falsely claimed that the victim and another man attacked federal authorities with a snow shovel and a broom handle. Video evidence later disproved these claims, leading to the dismissal of charges against Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and the placement of Christian Castro on administrative leave.

Currently detained in Brownsville, Texas, Christian Castro faces potential release as Minnesota officials express concern that he might flee the country, noting intercepted jail calls where he discussed relocating to Mexico. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison criticized Governor Abbott's inaction, arguing it undermines federal extradition laws and supports the broader deportation campaign of President Donald Trump.