U.S.

Minnesota sues Texas governor to force ICE agent's extradition

Minnesota's attorney general filed suit Tuesday seeking to compel Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to extradite an ICE agent charged with assault and filing a false report.

6:49 PM

Minnesota sues Texas governor to force ICE agent's extradition

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, seeking to compel the extradition of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with wounding a man and falsely reporting a crime during an ICE operation in Minneapolis.

Ellison asked a federal judge to bar the Cameron County Sheriff's Office in Texas from releasing ICE agent Christian Castro and to order Abbott to sign the extradition warrant, allowing Minnesota law enforcement to take custody of him.

Castro, 52, was arrested in Texas in May on Minnesota charges stemming from the January 14 wounding of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. According to authorities, Castro fired a gun through the front door of a Minneapolis home during an ICE procedure, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Castro faces four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.

"He must face justice in Minnesota," Ellison said in a statement.

The shooting occurred during an ICE crackdown in Minneapolis. Castro was formally charged in May, but his transfer to Minnesota has been delayed pending the extradition process. Ellison indicated he would seek a temporary restraining order as part of the legal action.

The lawsuit represents a direct challenge to Abbott's authority over the extradition process in Texas. Under U.S. law, governors must sign extradition warrants to transfer individuals across state lines to face criminal charges.

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