Minnesota sues Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to force extradition of ICE agent charged with assault
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sues Texas Governor Greg Abbott to force the extradition of ICE agent Christian Castro, who faces assault charges for shooting Venezuelan immigrant Julio Sosa-Celis in Minneapolis. While Minnesota officials argue that extradition is a mandatory ministerial duty, Abbott dismisses the lawsuit, demanding Minnesota first repay the federal government for alleged welfare program fraud. The dispute intensifies as Castro approaches Texas's 90-day detention limit.
Minnesota extradition lawsuit
▪Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a federal lawsuit on August 18, 2026, in the Southern District of Texas against Texas Governor Greg Abbott to force the extradition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro.
▪Minnesota's August 18, 2026, lawsuit alleges that Texas Governor Greg Abbott's refusal to extradite Christian Castro violates the Extradition Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the federal Extradition Act of 1793, and the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act.
▪Minnesota's August 18, 2026, lawsuit also names Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino as a defendant to prevent the South Texas sheriff's office from releasing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro.
▪Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sent a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott demanding he sign the extradition warrant for Christian Castro by Monday afternoon, August 17, 2026, or face legal action.
ICE agent shooting charges
▪The criminal charges against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro stem from a January 14, 2026, incident where he allegedly shot through the door of a Minneapolis home, striking Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg.
▪Although U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro claimed Julio Sosa-Celis attacked him with a shovel and a broom, surveillance camera footage contradicted Castro's account of the January 14, 2026, shooting.
▪U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
▪State and federal officers arrested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Christian Castro in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29, 2026, following the filing of criminal charges against him in Minnesota.
Texas extradition refusal
▪On June 30, 2026, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office redirected communications regarding Christian Castro's extradition to his deputy general counsel while continuing to sign rendition warrants for other unrelated defendants.
▪Minnesota officials state that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has withheld the rendition warrant for Christian Castro for nearly three months, despite typically signing such warrants within approximately 30 days.
▪Under Texas law, the state cannot hold an individual awaiting extradition for longer than 90 days, raising concerns that Christian Castro could be released from custody and flee across the nearby Mexican border.
Abbott fraud allegations response
▪Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated that Texas Governor Greg Abbott is required by law to sign the warrant and that the extradition of Christian Castro is a non-discretionary legal duty.
▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott dismissed Minnesota's lawsuit, stating he would not respond until Minnesota repays the United States for alleged fraud committed under federal programs in the state.
Operation Metro Surge crackdown
▪The January 14, 2026, shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis occurred during Operation Metro Surge, a major federal immigration enforcement crackdown launched in Minnesota in late 2025.
▪The Trump administration justified Operation Metro Surge by linking it to a welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota, and the operation has resulted in multiple shootings by federal immigration agents.
▪In March 2026, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the state of Minnesota sued the federal government to obtain evidence related to the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis.
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