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Judge Orders Release of ICE Detainee With Multiple Skull Fractures as Medical Staff Dispute Agency’s Account

Doctors at HCMC say the injuries do not match a claim that he ran into a wall.

Overview

  • A CT scan hours after the Jan. 8 arrest showed at least eight skull fractures and life‑threatening hemorrhages in multiple areas of Alberto Castañeda Mondragón’s brain.
  • Justice Department filings confirm he is no longer in federal custody, and the hospital has discharged him as he faces significant memory loss and a long recovery.
  • Court documents note he initially told clinicians he was dragged and mistreated by federal agents before his condition deteriorated, with a Jan. 16 filing describing heavy sedation and disorientation.
  • Hospital staff report ICE officers lingering on hospital grounds, questioning people about citizenship, and maintaining bedside presence, prompting reminders that agents need a warrant for patient access and that restraints require medical necessity.
  • Lawyers say he entered the U.S. in 2022 with valid documents, founded a Minnesota construction business, and appears to have no criminal record, while court records show an arrest warrant signed by an ICE officer and DHS declined to comment.