Judge Denies Minnesota Bid to Block ICE Agent's Release in Texas

A federal judge on Wednesday denied Minnesota's request for a temporary restraining order that sought to block the release of ICE officer Christian Castro, who is wanted on charges stemming from a shooting in north Minneapolis earlier this year.

U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled that Minnesota's case, which accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of violating the Extradition Act by refusing to sign Castro's rendition warrant, was "not ripe for adjudication." Rodriguez noted that Abbott has neither agreed nor refused to sign the warrant, but has instead asked the Texas Secretary of State to investigate the matter.

Castro was charged in Minnesota with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime after he shot a Venezuelan migrant in the leg during an immigration enforcement operation. Castro claimed the man had attacked him with a broomstick and shovel, but investigators say nearby camera footage disproved that account. He was arrested in Texas on May 29 and has been held at the Cameron County Jail, which said it would release him Thursday morning.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Castro "will not escape justice" despite the ruling, arguing the judge's order still acknowledged Castro is a flight risk and that Abbott's delay has been of an "atypically long duration." Ellison accused Abbott of "harboring a fugitive" and said Minnesota would continue litigating.

An Abbott spokesperson, Andrew Mahaleris, said the ruling correctly rejected what he called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's "absurd claim," arguing the Constitution requires Abbott to deliberately weigh extradition requests. At a news conference last week, Abbott linked the dispute to unrelated demands that Minnesota repay the federal government over alleged fraud in state programs.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty renewed calls for Abbott to sign the extradition paperwork, saying he alone could stop Castro from leaving jail. Cellphone video shared by Minnesota state Sen. Erin Maye Quade appeared to show the aftermath of the shooting, with the victim's wife telling 911 dispatchers her husband had been chased by ICE agents and shot in front of his family. The Department of Homeland Security has given a different account, saying the man fled from officers, crashed into a parked car and then resisted arrest.