Minnesota Takes Texas to Court Over ICE Agent Accused of Shooting Migrant

• Minnesota sues Texas over ICE agent extradition
• Castro remains detained in Texas
• Authorities warn of possible flight risk

Minnesota has opened a legal battle with Texas to secure the ICE agent extradition of Christian Castro, who is accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in the leg during an immigration enforcement operation.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed the lawsuit Tuesday, arguing that Texas has delayed a process that would allow the agent to be transferred to face charges.

“Castro has been accused of violating the law in Minnesota and must face justice here,” Ellison said while explaining why the state decided to take the matter to court.

• Why it matters: The case pits two states against each other over the transfer of a federal agent and comes amid growing scrutiny of the use of force during immigration enforcement operations.

Minnesota Accuses Texas of Blocking ICE Agent Extradition

Castro was arrested in May in Harlingen, South Texas, by state agents and members of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, days after charges were filed.

Minnesota authorities accuse him of shooting Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, during “Metro Surge,” a large-scale ICE operation carried out in the state.

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He also faces allegations related to a report in which he allegedly falsely claimed that Sosa and another migrant attacked him with a shovel and a broomstick.

• The numbers: Minnesota says Texas has processed more than 30 extradition requests from the state over the past five years, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.

Keith Ellison Warns Christian Castro Could Be a Flight Risk

The lawsuit seeks an order preventing Castro’s release and compelling Texas Governor Greg Abbott to sign the documents necessary to complete the ICE agent extradition.

Ellison argues that Abbott should have authorized the transfer months ago and believes the delay cannot simply be attributed to the normal operation of the process.

“We have never heard of a process like this taking so long. It is administrative and should not be controversial, but it is clear that this is not accidental, but a decision,” he said.

• The process: Castro remains detained near the Mexican border, and Minnesota is trying to secure his transfer before the period during which he can remain in custody awaiting extradition expires.

Minnesota Fears ICE Agent Could Leave the U.S.

Authorities expressed concern about a possible escape because of Castro’s proximity to Mexico and the connections Moriarty says he has to the country.

“There are indications that Castro could flee” the United States if released, said the prosecutor for the county where the incident allegedly occurred.

• What they can do: Minnesota is seeking to speed up the process through the courts and obtain an order keeping Castro in custody while the extradition request is resolved.
• The deadline: Ellison warned that just over a week remains before the 90-day period allowed under Texas law to detain a person awaiting extradition expires.

Case Follows Controversial Metro Surge Operation

Sosa was one of three people shot by ICE agents during “Metro Surge,” an operation that deployed hundreds of immigration agents in Minneapolis and led to intense confrontations.

The other two people mentioned in connection with those incidents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens, died after being shot by immigration agents.

Since January 2025, there have been at least 30 incidents in which ICE agents fired at civilians, leaving eight people dead, according to the specialized news outlet The Trace.

The case also comes after U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called in June for an “independent” investigation into deaths connected to immigration enforcement operations and raised concerns about a “lack of transparency,” according to The Guardian, EFE, and NBC News.