Judge Refuses to Order Texas to Extradite ICE Officer to Minnesota A federal judge in Brownsville, Texas, denied Minnesota’s request to compel the state to extradite Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro, who faces charges in the Jan. 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The decision, announced on Wednesday, prevents Texas from being forced to hand over Castro, who remains in custody in Brownsville, a city near the Mexican border. Under Texas law, Castro would be released after 90 days of detention, which would occur on Thursday, unless an extradition order is issued. Minnesota authorities have sought Castro’s extradition since his arrest, arguing that he could flee the country. The state’s attorney general, Keith Ellison, filed a request for a temporary restraining order last week, asking a federal judge to block the Cameron County sheriff from releasing Castro and to compel Texas Governor Greg Abbott to sign an extradition warrant. The request was based on concerns that Castro might escape, citing phone calls he made from jail to a woman in Mexico. According to the lawsuit, Castro discussed plans to “marry her and buy a house in Mexico when he is released.” Castro is accused of shooting Sosa-Celis through the front door of a Minneapolis home during an immigration crackdown. Prosecutors allege he fired the gun, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg, and later falsely reported that the victim and another man had attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. Minnesota officials argue that without immediate extradition, Castro could evade prosecution, as they fear he might flee to Mexico or elsewhere. During a federal hearing in Brownsville on Tuesday, attorneys from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office emphasized the urgency of the case.#minnesota #federal_judge #minnesota_attorney_general #christian_castro #greg_abbott
