A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday (August 26) rejected Minnesota’s request for the extradition of former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer Christian Castro. Castro was accused of shooting a man during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis in January and filing a false police report about the incident.
U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. in the Southern District of Texas ruled that since Texas Governor Abbott has not officially refused Minnesota’s extradition request, the case is not yet mature for judicial intervention and the court lacks jurisdiction at this stage.
Castro is accused of shooting 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg on January 14 and falsely claiming that Sosa-Celis and another man attacked another ICE officer with a broom handle and a shovel. He was arrested in Cameron County, Texas on May 29.
Under Texas law, individuals awaiting extradition can only be detained for up to 90 days. The Cameron County sheriff’s office stated that if Abbott does not sign an extradition order or the court does not intervene, Castro will be released on Thursday.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison had previously filed a temporary restraining order to prevent Cameron County from releasing Castro or to order Abbott to sign the extradition order. Minnesota argued that Castro may flee to Mexico after being released to avoid criminal charges in Minnesota.
In the ruling, Rodriguez pointed out that Minnesota cannot file a lawsuit based on speculation about Abbott potentially violating the extradition law in the future, and current laws do not require the governor to decide whether to issue an extradition order within a specific time frame.
Ellison expressed respect for the court’s ruling but strongly disagreed with the outcome, stating that his office will continue to handle the case. A spokesperson for Abbott stated that the governor has a responsibility to carefully assess whether extradition requests are legal and reasonable.
(Credit to the Associated Press for reference)