Minnesota Attorney General Challenges Texas Governor’s Protection of ICE Agent Accused of Assault
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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a federal lawsuit to force Texas Governor Greg Abbott to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro, who faces assault charges after a Minneapolis shooting. The case highlights ongoing Republican obstruction of justice and the shielding of abusive law enforcement agents.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison took decisive action on Tuesday, suing Texas Governor Greg Abbott in federal court to compel him to sign an extradition warrant for ICE agent Christian Castro. Castro, 52, was arrested in Texas on serious Minnesota charges of assault and filing a false report after a January 14 shooting in Minneapolis that left Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis wounded.
At a news conference, Ellison condemned the Texas governor’s refusal to cooperate, warning that under Texas law, Castro could be released from jail within days unless extradited. Ellison also raised the alarm that Castro, who has been making calls to a woman in Mexico from jail to discuss marriage and buying property, might flee the country and evade justice.
"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," Ellison stated, underscoring the urgent need for accountability.
The lawsuit references a 1987 Supreme Court decision mandating that states comply with the Constitution’s extradition clause, leaving Abbott no legal grounds for delay. Texas officials, true to form, declined to comment on their obstruction, while Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty minimized the urgency, calling the suit “completely unnecessary” despite the clear risk of Castro escaping justice. She noted that Texas jail officials have previously extradited three unrelated defendants to Minnesota, but this case exposes the double standard when law enforcement is involved.
Authorities report that Castro fired through a front door, injuring Sosa-Celis in the leg, and then fabricated a story that Sosa-Celis and another man attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. Federal charges against the victims were dismissed, and the Justice Department is now investigating the agents’ false statements. This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked law enforcement power and the lengths to which Republican officials will go to protect their own.