Full Breakdown
Minnesota Prosecutors Charge ICE Agent Christian Castro, Prompting Federal-State Immunity Dispute
5/19/2026, 1:39:46 AM
State Charges Against ICE Agent Christian Castro
On March 12, 2024, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty charged ICE officer Christian Castro with four assault counts and one false-reporting count. The indictment says Castro, on Jan. 14, 2021, pursued a Venezuelan Doordash driver, fired through the driver’s front door, and wounded the driver’s housemate, Julio Sosa-Celis, in the thigh. The driver, a U.S. resident, said he was inside his home. A warrant was issued; Castro remains at large. The state also charged ICE officer Gregory Morgan Jr. with assault for an alleged gun-brandishing incident.
Winter Occupation Background
Immigration presence in Minneapolis surged during the winter occupation, ending after agents shot protestors Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The Trump administration then replaced CBP officer Greg Bovino with Tom Homan.
Legal Stakes and Immunity Question
The counts carry prison terms. Moriarty argues a federal badge does not grant immunity for crimes in Minnesota. The state seeks FBI and DHS records to evaluate Castro’s conduct. Federal prosecutors may move the case to federal court, where a judge will decide if the conduct falls within a “necessary and proper” scope, recalling a dismissed Mississippi civil-rights case on tear-gas use.
Official Statements
Moriarty said the federal badge does not grant immunity for criminal conduct in Minnesota and stressed no officer is immune from state prosecution. The Trump administration has not responded; DHS declined comment. Federal officials have been described as stonewalling investigations into the Good, Pretti, and Sosa-Celis shootings.
Criticism & Opposition
Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called the Sosa-Celis incident “attempted murder,” prompting federal charges that were later dropped after video showed no shovel attack. Scholars warn that a federal-court move could limit state authority, recalling a 1960s Mississippi case where a state’s attempt to prosecute a federal officer over tear-gas use was dismissed.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The state is suing to obtain FBI and DHS records, and federal officials have not clarified whether Castro’s conduct was justified under agency policy. The pending jurisdictional decision leaves a gap in understanding the legal standards that will apply.
Verbatim Quotes
- “His federal badge does not make him immune from state charges for his criminal conduct in Minnesota,” — Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney
- “no such thing as absolute immunity for federal officers who commit crimes in this state or another.” — Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney
- “Should it result in a conviction, Mr. Castro will be ineligible for a presidential pardon,” — Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney
- “attempted murder,” — Kristi Noem, then-DHS Secretary
What’s Next
The case is expected to be moved to federal court, where a judge will decide whether state prosecution can proceed. The outcome will shape future attempts to hold federal officers accountable.
