Conflicting Accounts of the Injuries
Court documents show that accounts from immigration officers shifted over time. At least one officer reportedly suggested the man had been assaulted during his arrest near a St. Paul shopping area. The arrest occurred amid heightened enforcement activity following recent fatal encounters involving immigration agents elsewhere in the region.
An outside forensic pathologist reviewed descriptions of the injuries and agreed with hospital staff that the trauma pattern raised serious questions. The expert said injuries affecting both sides of the skull and extending front to back are rarely consistent with a single accidental collision.
Medical records indicate that the man was transferred between facilities after his condition worsened. At one point, he reportedly told caregivers that he had been dragged and mistreated by federal agents, statements made shortly before his neurological status declined.
Background and Legal Status
According to filings submitted by his attorneys, Castañeda Mondragón entered the United States legally in 2022 and later started a construction business in Minnesota. Public records show no criminal history. His lawyers argue he was stopped and detained during enforcement activity that relied on racial profiling, with officers determining only after his arrest that his visa had expired.
The legal team petitioned for his release, arguing that the circumstances of his detention and injuries violated basic legal and humanitarian standards. A federal judge later ordered him released from immigration custody.
The Department of Homeland Security did not provide detailed responses to questions about how the injuries occurred, stating only that a head injury was identified during intake and required emergency treatment.
