While Abbott’s office declined the opportunity to comment on pending litigation, the governor later made a series of long-winded and politically-charged remarks accusing Minnesota of enabling immigration-related fraud.
A federal court has ordered Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to respond to a Minnesota lawsuit demanding the extradition of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in the shooting of a Venezuelan national.
According to The Texas Tribune, the court’s order came a day after Minnesota state leaders sued Abbott to force the extradition of 52-year-old Christian Castro, who is currently facing four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, having been accused of misrepresenting the circumstances preceding the shooting.
The Tribune notes that the lawsuit is the most significant escalation in Minnesota’s months-long legal battle to take custody of Castro.
“Abbott’s refusal to extradite Castro is unconstitutional and violates federal law and Texas law,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. “I will not stand for that, so I’m taking Abbott to court.”
In his Wednesday order, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez directed Abbott’s office to file a response to Minnesota’s request no later than August 24. A hearing on the order was also scheduled for the following day.
Attorneys for Minnesota emphasized that Castro could be released as early as August 26 in the absence of a court order.
While Abbott’s office declined the opportunity to comment on pending litigation, the governor later made a series of long-winded and politically-charged remarks accusing Minnesota of enabling immigration-related fraud.
Abbott did not, however, address or attempt to rebut the state’s actual legal claims.
“Well, first of all, I don’t trust [Minnesota Gov.] Tim Walz on anything, let alone something like this,” Abbott said in a press conference. “While they’re making demands, I got a demand of my own, and that is, it’s time for Minnesota to step up and repay the United States of America and Americans for all the fraud that they’ve committed in their state under federal programs.
“And I will not respond to them at all until they step up and do what’s right, and they acknowledge their fault in the fraud that took place, and they fully repay the United States of America for the fraud they committed,” Abbott said.
Ellison, for his part, said that Minnesota warned Abbott of what might happened if Texas failed to respond to the state’s extradition request.
“I should never have had to file this lawsuit, but I have done so today to protect the Constitution,” he said. “Christian Castro is not above the law and Greg Abbott isn’t, either.”
Sources
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