Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing back against Minnesota's attempt to force the extradition of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer detained in Texas.
In an Aug. 24 court filing, Abbott asserted
that he is not obligated to return Christian Castro , who was charged in connection with a nonfatal shooting of a Minneapolis man in January and for lying to the FBI about it, back to Minnesota to face justice.
Filed in the Brownsville division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the governor's office lawyers are asking the court to deny Minnesota's request.
"In the end, Minnesota's zeal to see Mr. Castro prosecuted on its home turf cannot justify pretermitting Governor Abbott's ongoing deliberations pursuant to the Constitution and state statutes, which are designed to protectagainst abusive and baseless deprivations of individual liberty," Abbott's lawyers wrote in the brief.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison originally sued Abbott on Aug. 18, after months of state officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, asked Texas to return Castro.
Castro was arrested by Texas Rangers on May 29 on a nationwide warrant issued in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and remains in Cameron County jail as of Aug. 25.
Ellison has also asked the courts to bar the Cameron County Sheriff's Office in Texas from releasing Castro, as Texas law allows fugitives awaiting extradition to be detained for only 90 days. Ellison said he fears that Castro will flee the U.S. for Mexico if he is released.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. is scheduled to hear Minnesota's request at 1 p.m. on Aug. 25 in Brownsville.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas asks courts to reject Minnesota's extradition ask of ICE agent
