Intensive care staff at a major Minneapolis hospital are disputing claims made by federal immigration officers after a detained man was admitted with extensive head trauma that doctors and nurses say could not have resulted from an accidental impact.
The patient, a 31-year-old Mexican national later identified as Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, arrived at Hennepin County Medical Center with multiple facial fractures, internal bleeding, and widespread skull damage shortly after being taken into immigration custody. Medical workers familiar with the case say the injuries were immediately inconsistent with explanations provided by officers escorting him.
According to legal filings submitted on the man’s behalf, immigration agents initially told hospital staff that the detainee injured himself by running headfirst into a wall while restrained. ICU nurses rejected that explanation almost immediately after reviewing scans and assessing his neurological condition.
Several nurses described the injuries as severe, bilateral, and spread across multiple areas of the skull — a pattern they say does not align with a single impact. One nurse described the explanation given by officers as implausible based on basic trauma assessment.
Hospital staff members who spoke anonymously said the patient arrived confused, disoriented, and unable to explain what had happened. Imaging later revealed at least eight skull fractures along with hemorrhaging in several regions of the brain. His condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to heavy sedation and intensive monitoring.
