US ICE officer accused of shooting man in Minneapolis released from Texas jail
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer accused of shooting a man during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and allegedly lying about the incident was released from a Texas jail on Thursday after a federal judge declined to order his return to Minnesota.Christian Castro walked out of a detention centre in Brownsville at dawn and left in an SUV after briefly acknowledging reporters and camera operators waiting outside.US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr, in an order issued Wednesday, said he could not prevent a county sheriff from releasing Castro or compel Texas Governor Greg Abbott to approve his extradition to Minnesota.Castro faces assault and false-reporting charges in Minnesota over the January 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
ICE officer accused of shooting man through door
Castro is accused of firing a gun through the front door of a Minneapolis home and hitting Sosa-Celis in the leg. Prosecutors allege he later falsely claimed that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel.A Minnesota judge issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Castro in May. He was arrested by authorities, including the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, in Cameron County on May 29.Minnesota officials had sought his extradition, but Castro remained in custody in Brownsville, near the US-Mexico border. Under Texas law, he had to be released after 90 days unless extradited.Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison had sought a temporary restraining order to block Castro’s release or secure his return to Minnesota.
Texas Governor Abbott yet to decide on extradition
Texas lawyers argued that the federal court could not intervene while Abbott’s decision on the extradition request was still pending.Abbott is awaiting an internal state investigation into whether Castro qualifies as a “fugitive” under the US Constitution’s Extradition Clause.Judge Rodriguez said the case was not yet ripe for adjudication, noting that Minnesota could not base its claims on the possibility that Abbott might violate his legal obligations in the future.The judge also said extradition laws do not specify how long a governor can take to decide on such a request.Abbott had earlier said he would not immediately respond to Minnesota’s extradition request, citing an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud involving government social service programmes in the state.
Minnesota fears Castro could flee to Mexico
Minnesota officials have warned that Castro could flee the US following his release. They cited calls he allegedly made from jail to a woman in Mexico, during which he discussed marrying her and buying a house there after his release.The judge acknowledged that Castro could potentially flee the country but said the threat alone was not enough for the court to intervene.Following the ruling, Ellison said his office would continue pursuing the case. Abbott’s office welcomed the decision, saying the governor has a duty to carefully examine the merits of extradition requests.The ruling has intensified a political clash between Texas and Minnesota officials over immigration enforcement and the handling of criminal cases involving ICE personnel.
