ACLU of Minnesota calls the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis a shocking attack
ACLU of MinnesotaMinnesota affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, in a press release
In a press release announcing that it will represent Julio Sosa-Celis through the Federal Tort Claims Act process, the ACLU of Minnesota said that, according to the Hennepin County charges, Castro fired through the closed front door while standing in the front yard and under no physical threat. It called the shooting a shocking attack and said federal agents committed some of the most flagrant constitutional violations it has witnessed since the civil rights era during Operation Metro Surge.
“According to criminal charges later filed against Castro by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Castro fired through the closed front door while standing in the front yard and under no physical threat. The bullet struck Sosa-Celis before entering the wall of a child’s bedroom. This shocking attack occurred at the height of Operation Metro Surge, during which federal agents committed some of the most flagrant constitutional violations we have witnessed in the United States since the civil rights era.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was ICE Officer Christian Castro Justified in Shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis?
On January 14, 2026, ICE officer Christian Castro fired his service weapon through the closed front door of a north Minneapolis home during a foot pursuit that followed a traffic stop, wounding 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg. The Department of Homeland Security said the following day that Castro had been ambushed and beaten with a snow shovel and broom handle by Sosa-Celis, Alfredo Aljorna and a third man, Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, and fired a defensive shot fearing for his life; federal prosecutors initially charged Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with assaulting Castro. Sosa-Celis and Aljorna told investigators they had not attacked Castro, and habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of their partners disputed DHS's account. On February 12, 2026, federal prosecutors dismissed the charges against Sosa-Celis and Aljorna with prejudice, citing newly discovered evidence materially inconsistent with the allegations; the next day, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said a joint ICE-DOJ review of video evidence indicated two officers' sworn testimony appeared untruthful, and placed them on administrative leave. In May 2026, Hennepin County prosecutors charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime, alleging he was not attacked and fired at Sosa-Celis and Aljorna after they had already gone inside the home, where children were present. In September 2026, following a monthslong dispute over his extradition from Texas, federal prosecutors separately indicted Castro on six counts of making materially false statements to the FBI about the shooting. Castro has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges; the state charges and the underlying dispute over whether his use of force was justified remain unresolved.
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Official statement
About this source
Press release from the ACLU of Minnesota announcing that it will represent Julio Sosa-Celis through the Federal Tort Claims Act process.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
In May, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office charged Castro with four counts of second-degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime. According to the release, Minnesota authorities asked Texas Governor Greg Abbott to sign an extradition warrant, and Abbott declined before the 90-day detention limit expired.
After the quotation
The release says Castro was indicted the same day on charges that he made false statements about the shooting. It says the organization intends to file an administrative claim for Sosa-Celis under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether Christian Castro was justified in shooting Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. The ACLU of Minnesota said that, according to the Hennepin County charges, Castro fired through the closed front door while under no physical threat, and it called the shooting a shocking attack that came during some of the most flagrant constitutional violations by federal agents that it has witnessed. That rejects the shooting as justified, so we labeled it Condemned.
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More from this case
Read the full caseAmnesty condemns the shooting
Amnesty International
“unlawful use of lethal force”Read statement
Justice Department says indictment challenges Castro's account of the shooting
United States Department of Justice
“Castro was indicted on six counts of knowingly and willfully making materially false statements to the FBI during the interview on or about Jan. 14.”Read statement
Ellison says “nobody is above the law, including ICE agents”
“Nobody is above the law, including ICE agents. The State of Minnesota must hold people accountable for violating the law and for harming Minnesotans. I support the filing of these charges, and I am working closely with Hennepin County Attorney Moriarty to ensure we reach a just outcome here.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "ACLU of Minnesota calls the shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis a shocking attack". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3412-in-a-press-release-announcing-that-it-will