ICE Claims Immigrant Shattered Skull on Wall, Medical Staff Dispute Official Account
A Mexican immigrant was hospitalised in Minneapolis earlier this month with multiple fractures to his face and skull sustained while under federal custody. The incident has sparked significant controversy, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents providing an explanation that medical professionals directly contradict.
Conflicting Accounts of a Severe Injury
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents initially stated that Alberto Castañeda Mondragón, while handcuffed, attempted to flee and "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall." This account was documented in court filings by lawyers seeking his release from custody. However, staff at Hennepin County Medical Center determined this explanation was medically implausible given the nature and extent of his injuries.
Three nurses familiar with the case, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, asserted that the fractures and extensive brain bleeding throughout the 31-year-old man's brain could not possibly have resulted from such an action. "It was laughable, if there was something to laugh about," one nurse stated. "There was no way this person ran headfirst into a wall."
Medical Consensus Against Official Story
The Associated Press consulted with a doctor and five nurses from HCMC, along with an external physician, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity. They unanimously affirmed that Castañeda Mondragón's injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall or collision with a wall. The severity suggested a different mechanism of injury entirely.
Court filings and a hospital staff member revealed that the ICE account evolved while officers were at his bedside. At least one agent reportedly told caregivers the immigrant "got his (expletive) rocked" following his arrest on January 8th near a St. Paul shopping centre. This arrest occurred just one day after the first of two fatal shootings in Minneapolis involving immigration officers.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not respond to repeated requests for comment regarding the injuries. In court documents, a deportation officer avoided specifics, noting only that during intake at a detention centre, it was determined he "had a head injury that required emergency medical treatment."
Profile of the Injured Man
Gregorio Castañeda Mondragón described his older brother as a roofer from Veracruz, Mexico, who supports a 10-year-old daughter in his hometown. According to his legal team, Castañeda Mondragón entered the United States in 2022 with valid immigration documents. Minnesota incorporation records show he founded Castaneda Construction the following year, listing a St. Paul address. He appears to have no criminal record.
His lawyers argued in a petition for his release that he was racially profiled during a targeted crackdown, with officers only determining he had overstayed his visa after his arrest. "He was a brown-skinned, Latino Spanish speaker at a location immigration agents arbitrarily decided to target," the filing stated.
Timeline of Injury and Treatment
After his arrest, Castañeda Mondragón was taken to an ICE processing centre on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Court records show an arrest warrant was signed upon arrival by an ICE officer, not an immigration judge. Approximately four hours later, he was transported to a suburban Edina emergency room with swelling, bruising around his right eye, and bleeding.
A CT scan revealed at least eight skull fractures and life-threatening hemorrhages in five areas of his brain, prompting his transfer to HCMC. Initially alert and speaking, he told staff he was "dragged and mistreated by federal agents," but his condition deteriorated rapidly. By January 16th, a court filing described him as minimally responsive, disoriented, and heavily sedated.
More than two weeks after his arrest, a U.S. District Court judge ordered his release from ICE custody. He was subsequently discharged from hospital, though a spokeswoman said she had no information on his current condition or location. Justice Department lawyers later confirmed to the court that he was no longer in federal custody.
His brother reported that Castañeda Mondragón, with no family in Minnesota, is staying with coworkers. He suffers from significant memory loss and faces a long recovery, unable to work. Friends and family are concerned about covering his medical costs. "He still doesn't remember things that happened. I think (he remembers) 20% of the 100% he had," his brother said from Mexico.
Hospital Tensions with Federal Agents
This case exemplifies growing friction between immigration officers and healthcare workers at Minneapolis hospitals. Staff reported ICE officers entering with seriously injured detainees and remaining at their bedsides for extended periods. The presence has been unsettling, with agents reportedly loitering on hospital grounds and questioning patients and employees about citizenship status.
Hospital employees expressed discomfort with armed agents they distrusted and perceived as untrained. Nurses in the critical care unit felt intimidated and were even advised to avoid certain bathrooms to minimise encounters. Staff have resorted to using an encrypted messaging app to share information, fearing government surveillance of their communications.
Hospital administration issued reminders that ICE officers cannot access patients or protected information without a warrant or court order. "Patients under federal custody are first and foremost patients," officials stated in a bulletin. Policy also dictates that shackles or restraints should not be used unless medically necessary.
However, a doctor speaking anonymously noted, "We have our policies, but ICE personnel as federal officers don't necessarily comply with those, and that introduces tension." Hospital spokeswoman Alisa Harris maintained that ICE agents "have not entered our facilities looking for individuals."
