Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, 31, says he was violently restrained and beaten by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after being detained in St. Paul on Jan. 8. According to his account to The Associated Press, officers pulled him from a friend’s car outside a shopping center, threw him to the pavement, handcuffed him, punched him and struck his head with what he later identified as an ASP telescoping baton. He alleges agents then dragged him to an SUV, transported him to a detention facility and beat him again.
Medical Findings
Castañeda Mondragón recalled being taken to the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center in severe pain. He says a CT scan revealed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull; medical staff informed him he had eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. He reported being disoriented for days after the incident.
ICE's Account
In a Jan. 20 court declaration, ICE deportation officer William J. Robinson wrote that Castañeda Mondragón entered the United States legally in March 2022 and was later determined to have overstayed his visa. The filing also states that the detainee 'purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall' and required emergency medical care.
Disputed Explanations
Hospital staff who spoke with AP and an outside physician reviewed the scans and expressed doubt that the injuries resulted from running headfirst into a wall. They said the pattern of injury appeared more consistent with a fall or blunt-force trauma than with a deliberate collision with a brick wall. Castañeda Mondragón denied there was any wall at the scene and maintains the injuries are the result of excessive force by ICE agents.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in January 2026Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty
‘There was never a wall,’ Castañeda Mondragón told AP.
Responses and Next Steps
Castañeda Mondragón said he plans to file a formal complaint against ICE. Minnesota officials have reacted to the case: Gov. Tim Walz criticized what he described as 'aggressive' federal tactics and said 'Law enforcement cannot be lawless,' while St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and other local leaders have called for an investigation. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment from news outlets.
The allegations have prompted renewed scrutiny of ICE detention practices and use of force. The case remains subject to ongoing investigations and possible legal action.
Sources: The Associated Press; reporting cited by People.
