A federal judge in Texas on Aug. 26 said he will not compel the state to turn over an immigration agent whose extradition was sought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Christian Castro faces second-degree assault and false reporting charges in Minnesota after allegedly shooting a 24-year-old Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, in January.
Castro allegedly fired a shot through Celis’s front door during an immigration operation, striking him in the leg. He is also accused of falsely reporting that Celis and another man attacked him with a broom and shovel.
He has been held in a Cameron County, Texas, jail for months, but Texas law says he can only be detained for 90 days while awaiting extradition. That holding period will run out on Aug. 27, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has delayed approval of Ellison’s extradition request, pending an internal Texas review.
Ellison sued to block his release, and to compel Abbot to extradite him.
The Minnesota Attorney General’s office has argued that Castro is a flight risk, based on phone calls he had with a woman in Mexico “about marrying her and buying a house in Mexico when he is released.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story will be updated with additional details.
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