Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott, seeking to compel the extradition of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with assault and false reporting in connection with a January incident.
The ICE agent, Christian Castro, is accused of firing a gun at the front door of an occupied home in Minneapolis on Jan. 14, striking a man in the leg. Prosecutors allege Castro then lied about the circumstances of the shooting. He was charged in May with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. A judge found probable cause for the charges and issued a nationwide arrest warrant.
Texas Rangers arrested Castro on May 29, and a Cameron County judge ordered him detained pending extradition proceedings. Four days later, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent Abbott an extradition request. However, Abbott has reportedly "withheld a rendition warrant" necessary to transfer Castro to Minnesota for prosecution.
"Now, Governor Abbott is trying to shield Castro from being held accountable for these serious charges by refusing to extradite him to Minnesota," Ellison stated. "Abbott's refusal to extradite Castro is unconstitutional and violates federal law and Texas law. I will not stand for that, so I'm taking Abbott to court. Christian Castro will stand trial in Minnesota."
The lawsuit also names Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino as a defendant, alleging he has failed to make Castro available for extradition. Ellison's office indicated it will also request a temporary restraining order to prevent Castro's release from the Cameron County Sheriff's Office custody.
ABC News reached out to the Texas governor's office for comment but had not yet received a response. The Cameron County sheriff declined to comment on the lawsuit.