Federal judge declines to order Texas to surrender an ICE officer to Minnesota prosecution

A federal judge declined Wednesday to order Texas to extradite an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer to Minnesota for prosecution, leaving Gov. Greg Abbott additional time to decide whether to comply, according to a report by The Washington Times.

The officer at the center of the dispute is Christian Castro, an ICE officer alleged to have assaulted a migrant. Minnesota sought the officer’s transfer to face charges in that state, prompting Texas to resist the request.

In the court ruling described by The Washington Times, the judge did not require Texas to turn over Castro immediately to Minnesota authorities. The decision sided with Abbott, the report said, and effectively postponed Minnesota’s effort to obtain the officer for its criminal case.

Abbott argued that Texas needed more time to determine whether it would comply with the extradition request, the report said. The judge accepted that position at least for the time being, according to the account of the Wednesday proceeding.

The ruling means Minnesota’s prosecution against Castro, as sought through the extradition mechanism, will not proceed on the schedule demanded by the state while the compliance question remains open in Texas. The decision also highlights how state and federal authority issues can affect enforcement timelines in cross-jurisdiction criminal matters.

It was not clear from the report what legal theory Minnesota used to pursue the officer, what specific procedural posture led to the judge’s refusal, or whether either side can seek further relief or appeal. Additional filings and any subsequent orders would be needed to determine whether the extradition fight returns to court, expands to higher review, or moves toward a negotiated compliance timeline.