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6h ago

Abbott Asks Judge to Deny Minnesota’s Bid to Extradite ICE Agent

The filing could leave the agent subject to Texas’s 90-day detention limit while federal prosecutors weigh whether to bring charges.

This booking photo shows Christian Castro, an ICE agent charged in connection with a shooting involving two Venezuelan people in Minnesota earlier this year.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking re-election to a fourth term as Texas governor, addresses questions from local media after a closed-door roundtable discussion with constituents about education at the Northeast El Paso home of Ines Vasquez on Aug. 19, 2026
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Nov. 13, 2025. Walz in June asked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to approve the extradition of an ICE officer held in Texas. Abbott has not reached a decision on the request.

Overview

  • Minnesota sued Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott to force the transfer of ICE agent Christian Castro to face Hennepin County charges for a January on-duty shooting and an alleged false report.
  • Abbott told a federal court he has 'serious doubts' Castro is a fugitive because ICE ordered him back to Texas and he is awaiting a Secretary of State report before approving extradition.
  • The Justice Department is reported to be considering federal charges against Castro, a development that could change custody and the timing of any state prosecution.
  • A federal judge will hear Minnesota’s emergency request in Brownsville on Tuesday with Texas law allowing only 90 days of pre-extradition detention creating an urgent deadline for the parties.
  • The case grows out of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis where officials later acknowledged ICE agents made false statements and federal probes have complicated state accountability efforts.