Minnesota Attorney General Fights Texas GOP Obstruction to Hold ICE Agent Accountable
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has sued Republican Governor Greg Abbott to force the extradition of ICE agent Christian Castro, who faces charges of assault and false reporting in Minnesota.
On Tuesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison took decisive action by filing a lawsuit to prevent the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office in Texas from releasing ICE agent Christian Castro, demanding that Governor Greg Abbott sign the necessary extradition warrant. This legal move is a direct response to the ongoing obstruction by Texas’s right-wing leadership, aiming to shield a federal agent from facing justice for his alleged crimes in Minnesota. Castro is accused of assault and filing a false police report after a January 14 shooting in Minneapolis that left Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis injured and endangered a child’s life when a bullet struck a bedroom wall.
The criminal complaint details how Castro, instead of protecting the public, allegedly fired a weapon into a Minneapolis home, injuring a resident and then lied to investigators. Despite the gravity of these charges, Texas law could allow Castro’s release after 90 days in custody, a loophole that Ellison is fighting to close. Ellison warned that without extradition, Castro could walk free next week and escape accountability by leaving the country from the border town where he is held.
Ellison stated, "Christian Castro has been charged with breaking the law in Minnesota. He must face justice in Minnesota. Gov. Abbott should have granted Gov. Walz’s extradition request long ago and is required to do so now." Yet, the Texas GOP continues to drag its feet, prioritizing partisan loyalty over public safety and justice.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty noted that Texas officials have previously cooperated with Minnesota prosecutors and extradited three unrelated defendants without issue, making the current resistance appear politically motivated and unnecessary. Ellison emphasized that the state has repeatedly reached out to Governor Abbott, who continues to refuse to honor the extradition request, raising serious questions about the rule of law under Abbott’s administration.