Minnesota has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott after he refused for months to extradite an ICE officer charged with shooting a civilian during immigration raids that left two Americans dead and sparked widespread protests.

ICE Officer Faces Assault Charges

Christian Castro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, faces criminal charges for allegedly firing his weapon through the front door of a Minneapolis residence in January, wounding a man in the leg. Minnesota prosecutors say Castro then filed a false report claiming the victim attacked an ICE officer before the shooting occurred. Castro was arrested in Texas in early June, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz immediately requested his extradition to face charges in state court.

The shooting happened during Operation Metro Surge, an aggressive federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that resulted in the fatal shootings of two United States citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by other ICE officers. Those killings triggered public outrage and street demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement tactics. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the lawsuit Tuesday after more than two months passed without action from Abbott on the extradition request.

Governor Refuses Cooperation

When reporters asked Abbott about the lawsuit during a press conference, the Texas governor declined to address the extradition matter directly. Instead, he raised allegations about social services fraud in Minnesota, claiming the state owes reimbursement to the federal government. Abbott’s office provided no additional comment to media outlets seeking clarification on his position regarding the extradition warrant.

Ellison stated that neither Castro nor Abbott stands above the law, emphasizing that Minnesota has the constitutional right to prosecute crimes committed within its borders. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to compel Abbott to approve the extradition warrant, which would allow Minnesota authorities to bring Castro back to face trial in Hennepin County, where the alleged crime occurred.

Constitutional Authority At Stake

The case represents an unusual confrontation between two states over the constitutional extradition process, which typically functions as a routine matter of interstate cooperation. Legal experts note that governors rarely refuse legitimate extradition requests for individuals facing serious criminal charges. The Constitution’s Extradition Clause requires states to surrender individuals charged with crimes in other states upon proper demand. If Abbott continues to refuse cooperation, the federal court may be forced to intervene in what has become a politically charged standoff between a Republican governor and Democratic state officials seeking to prosecute a federal law enforcement officer.