BROWNSVILLE, Texas – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer being held in a Texas jail has been released despite an extradition request from Minnesota.
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What we know:
Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño confirmed Christian Castro was released at 6:59 a.m. Thursday.
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Minnesota is suing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to force the extradition of an ICE officer charged in a January shooting before a key detention deadline expires Thursday.
January immigrant shooting
The backstory:
Castro was arrested by the Texas Rangers in May and has been held in a Cameron County jail on charges out of Hennepin County, Minnesota, related to a January shooting of an immigrant.
Castro is accused of not only shooting the immigrant, but also lying about what happened.
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According to Texas law, a person awaiting extradition cannot be held in jail longer than 90 days. Minnesota filed a lawsuit to prevent Castro’s release. A judge denied the request Wednesday, saying it was premature since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had not made a decision about the extradition request.
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Texas judge denies Minnesota’s request to stop release of ICE agent charged in immigrant shooting
A federal judge has denied Minnesota’s request to prevent the release of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer being held in a Texas jail in connection with a shooting earlier this year.
Abbott says judge made right decision
What they’re saying:
In a statement from a spokesperson, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the judge’s decision, saying it was an attempt by another state to usurp his authority.
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It’s not clear when Abbott will make a decision about Castro’s extradition.