Immigrant Says ICE Agents Broke His Skull in 8 Places During St. Paul Arrest; Federal Judge Found Arrest Unlawful

Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, a 31-year-old Mexican national, says he was violently beaten by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during an arrest on Jan. 8 in St. Paul, Minnesota. According to medical records and interviews, the assault left him with eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. He was hospitalized, disoriented for days and later released; a federal judge subsequently ruled his arrest unlawful.

The Arrest and Severe Injuries

Castañeda Mondragón told The Associated Press that ICE agents pulled him from a friend’s car outside a St. Paul shopping center, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him and struck him multiple times. He says agents hit him in the head with a telescoping steel baton — an ASP baton — and later that officers continued to beat him after transporting him to a detention facility at Fort Snelling.

Emergency-room scans and medical records documented fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull and five intracranial hemorrhages. Physicians described the injuries as life-threatening and said the pattern was inconsistent with an accidental fall or the officers’ claim that he "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall."

Hospital Details, Video and Staff Concerns

At Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) Castañeda Mondragón was disoriented and minimally responsive for several days while ICE officers remained nearby. Hospital staff interviewed by AP — including an emergency physician and nurses who spoke on condition of anonymity — said clinicians doubted the account provided by officers and found the injuries inconsistent with the "wall" explanation.

A short video posted to social media captured Castañeda Mondragón handcuffed and unsteady as masked officers walk him through a parking lot; bystanders in the clip warn him not to resist and express concern that he might be killed. The person who posted the video declined to allow AP to publish it, but the detainee confirmed he was the man shown.

Official Responses and Accountability Questions

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not respond to repeated AP requests for comment. In a Jan. 20 federal-court declaration, ICE deportation officer William J. Robinson noted only that Castañeda Mondragón "had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment," without describing how the injuries occurred.

A federal judge later found the arrest unlawful and ordered Castañeda Mondragón released from ICE custody. It remains unclear whether body-worn camera footage or other surveillance recordings of the arrest or detention exist; DHS has announced a broader rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis as the agency reduces its local footprint.

Local and state officials have called for investigations. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shared reporting on the case and demanded accountability. Minnesota congressional leaders, the St. Paul mayor and others asked state and local authorities to look into the incident. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office encouraged Castañeda Mondragón to file a formal police report; he says he plans to do so.

Recovery, Impact and Community Support

Castañeda Mondragón has experienced persistent memory loss, balance and coordination problems and requires help with daily tasks. During hospitalization, he did not immediately recognize his 10-year-old daughter in Mexico and could not recall cherished family moments. He was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 27 but faces a long recovery and uncertain prospects for returning to physically demanding work as a roofer.

Without health insurance, he depends on local community support and donations, including a GoFundMe campaign, to cover basic needs and medical care. He says he hopes to remain in the U.S. and eventually provide for his family, but remains fearful of further encounters with immigration officers.

Context

The arrest occurred one day after the first of two fatal shootings in Minneapolis by immigration officers, incidents that have heightened public scrutiny and spurred protests. Advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have criticized ICE operations in Minnesota as aggressive and called for greater transparency and accountability.

“There was never a wall,” Castañeda Mondragón said in Spanish, recalling the beating and the baton he says was used. “They laughed at me and hit me again.”