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Abbott Refuses ICE Extradition Warrant, Frees Christian Castro

8/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign the extradition warrant for ICE agent Christian Castro, allowing his release.
Castro faces four assault counts and one false-reporting count; a 90-day limit led to his Thursday release.
Abbott posted on X calling Minnesota lawyers “bad” and warning of bus drop-offs if a Biden president returns.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for criminals.

History

Historical Context

After California voters approved Proposition 187 in November 1994, Governor Pete Wilson pushed enforcement, but federal courts declared the measure unconstitutional by 1997. Since the mid-1990s, Texas has pursued comparable immigration restrictions, echoing Wilson’s state-level defiance and prompting renewed federal-state litigation by the Department of Justice over sanctuary policies in the United States.

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Story summary

Governor Greg Abbott refused to sign the extradition warrant for ICE agent Christian Castro, allowing his release.
Castro faces four assault counts and one false-reporting count; a 90-day limit led to his Thursday release.
Abbott posted on X calling Minnesota lawyers “bad” and warning of bus drop-offs if a Biden president returns.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Abbott is turning Texas into a sanctuary state for criminals.

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