Minnesota AG Slams Greg Abbott for Turning Texas Into 'Sanctuary State for Fugitive ICE Agent'

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched an extraordinary attack on Texas Governor Greg Abbott, accusing him of turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals following the release of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Christian Castro, an ICE agent facing four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime over a 14 January shooting during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, walked free from the Cameron County Jail after completing a mandatory ninety-day detention limit.

The high-stakes development unfolded a day after US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. rejected Minnesota's emergency lawsuit seeking to compel Abbott to sign an extradition warrant and keep the officer behind bars.

State prosecutors allege that Castro fired a bullet through the front door of an occupied home, striking a Venezuelan migrant in the leg before fabricating claims that residents attacked him with a shovel and broomstick.

With Minnesota officials warning that the defendant could flee across the border into Mexico, the intensifying interstate conflict has ignited a fierce constitutional debate over executive authority, extradition duties, and the limits of federal judicial intervention.

Castro Released After 90 Days

Castro faces four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime over the 14 January shooting in north Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge.

Minnesota prosecutors allege Castro fired through the front door of an occupied home, striking Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. The criminal complaint says the bullet ultimately struck a wall in a child's bedroom.

Prosecutors also allege Castro falsely reported that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked him with a broomstick and shovel. Investigators say nearby surveillance footage contradicted that account. Castro has been charged, not convicted, and the allegations remain to be tested in court.

He was arrested by Texas Rangers on 29 May after Minnesota sought his extradition and remained at the Cameron County Jail until Thursday's release.

'Disappears Into Mexico'

The prospect of Castro leaving the United States has become the most explosive part of the extradition fight.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty warned that Abbott still had the ability to prevent Castro from leaving Texas while Minnesota pursued his return.

'If Christian Castro walks out of the door of the jail tomorrow and disappears into Mexico, it will be the fault of one person, Greg Abbott,' Moriarty said.

Minnesota's lawsuit also cited jail calls in which Castro allegedly discussed marrying a woman in Mexico and buying a house there after his release. Those details do not establish that Castro intends to flee, but they explain why Minnesota officials have cited Mexico as a potential destination for flight.

Ellison Escalates the Fight

Ellison says the dispute is about more than one defendant. According to Minnesota's lawsuit, Texas handled 11 extradition requests from Minnesota over the previous five years, with Abbott signing the warrants in about 30 days on average.

Minnesota, by comparison, handled 21 extradition requests from Texas in fewer than five days on average. Ellison has pointed to that disparity as evidence that the Castro case represents an unusually prolonged delay.

He has also argued that governors should not be able to delay extradition requests based on political considerations, warning that doing so could undermine the constitutional process governing interstate rendition.

Abbott Has Not Made a Final Decision

Abbott's position is central to the federal judge's ruling. The governor has not formally denied Minnesota's extradition request. Instead, his office has questioned whether Castro legally qualifies as a fugitive and sought further investigation before Abbott decides whether to sign the rendition warrant.

Abbott's office has pointed to Castro's reassignment to Texas by federal authorities, rather than an allegation that he fled Minnesota after the shooting.

US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr said Abbott had neither agreed nor refused to sign the warrant. Because there was no formal refusal, Rodriguez concluded Minnesota's federal challenge was not yet ripe for adjudication. The judge therefore rejected Minnesota's request to keep Castro detained.

The Shooting Remains Disputed

The extradition fight stems from sharply different accounts of the January shooting. Minnesota prosecutors allege Castro shot Sosa-Celis and then falsely reported that he had been attacked.

The Department of Homeland Security has given a different account, saying the man fled federal officers, crashed into a parked car and resisted arrest. Those competing accounts will ultimately have to be tested in criminal proceedings rather than through competing public statements.

Abbott and Ellison Dig In

Abbott spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris defended the governor after the ruling, arguing that Minnesota was trying to use the federal courts to take over authority belonging to the Texas governor.

Abbott has also connected the dispute to Minnesota's separate fraud controversy, demanding that the state address alleged fraud involving federal programmes. Ellison, meanwhile, has vowed to continue fighting to bring Castro back to Minnesota.

For now, Castro is free, Minnesota still wants him returned to face charges, and Abbott has neither signed the rendition warrant nor formally rejected the request. Moriarty's warning hangs over the dispute: if Castro leaves Texas and reaches Mexico, Minnesota officials say the consequences could be far harder to reverse.

As legal teams evaluate potential appellate options, the interstate feud highlights deep fractures over federalism, executive discretion, and criminal accountability. The primary question remains whether Minnesota can compel the return of a fugitive when executive timelines stall indefinitely.