ICE Agent Castro Released After 90 Days, Extradition Fight Continues
Is Texas doing the right things or is Gov. Abbott making Texas a sanctuary state for an accused criminal?
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Above: Greg Abbott on June 12. Image credit: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images
The Facts
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Christian Castro was released from the Cameron County Detention Center in Texas on Thursday after being held for 90 days — the maximum permitted under Texas law.
- Castro is facing four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan man struck in the leg during an immigration raid in Minneapolis.
- Castro's release came after a federal judge Wednesday ruled that Minnesota's lawsuit seeking to compel Castro's extradition was premature, finding that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had neither agreed nor refused to sign the extradition warrant.
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The Spin
Republican narrative
Texas has done the right and lawful thing, as Minnesota has no business prosecuting agents doing their job. Abbott stood firm against a sanctuary state trying to make an example out of a patriot and this sets an example for how red states can band together to protect federal agents from politically motivated prosecutions.
Democratic narrative
Abbott is flat-out defying his constitutional duty. Refusing extradition doesn't make Texas tough on crime, it makes Texas a sanctuary state for accused criminals wearing a badge. Abbott is gambling with the rule of law for political points, and that kind of abuse of power has real consequences for public safety.
