Federal prosecutors in Minnesota prepared civil rights charges against ICE agent Christian Castro for shooting Venezuelan immigrant Julio C. Sosa-Celis in January, but the case stalled before filing. Castro was released Thursday from a South Texas jail where he was held on state charges, with no federal charges or extradition agreement in place. The shooting occurred during a Trump administration immigration crackdown in Minneapolis that saw three people shot by agents, including two U.S. citizens killed in separate incidents. Castro, a deportation officer from Texas, was among thousands dispatched to Minnesota.

State prosecutors allege he fired through a front door, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. The Justice Department stated it "had not yet reached a conclusion" and would not rush the review. Sosa-Celis's lawyer, Robin Wolpert, called the development devastating for her client, who trusted prosecutors to pursue justice. Federal charges could still be filed, but Castro left jail without restrictions, raising questions about accountability in the immigration enforcement campaign.