Nurses Say ICE Account of Immigrant's Skull Fractures Untrue
Hennepin County Medical Center nurses say Alberto Castañeda Mondragón suffered at least eight skull fractures inconsistent with ICE's 'ran into a wall' claim.
Overview
Nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center said Alberto Castañeda Mondragón had at least eight skull fractures and hemorrhages that, according to court documents, could not have resulted from running headfirst into a brick wall.
Castañeda Mondragón was arrested Jan. 8 near a St. Paul shopping center, a day after Jan. 7 fatal shootings by immigration officers and amid Operation Metro Surge that increased ICE presence at hospitals, the AP reported.
The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to repeated requests for comment, the AP said.
Hennepin County Medical Center issued new protocols limiting staff interactions with ICE after staff reported agents lingering on campus and accompanying detainees at bedside for days, hospital officials confirmed.
A U.S. District Court ordered Castañeda Mondragón released more than two weeks after his Jan. 8 arrest, and court filings show the Justice Department later told the judge he is no longer in federal custody.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story skeptically toward ICE by foregrounding medical assessments, anonymous hospital staff accounts, and court filings that contradict the agency's explanation, while noting DHS silence. Editorial choices—selection of expert testimony, emphasis on injury detail, and sparse ICE responses—collectively create an accountability-focused narrative prioritizing victims and caregivers.
Sources (3)
FAQ
He suffered at least eight skull fractures and life-threatening hemorrhages in at least five areas of his brain, along with swelling, bruising around his right eye, and bleeding.
ICE claimed he purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall while trying to flee, and at least one officer said he 'got his (expletive) rocked' after arrest.
Nurses at Hennepin County Medical Center said the injuries were inconsistent with running into a wall, describing the claim as 'laughable' and impossible.
Arrested on January 8 near a St. Paul shopping center during an ICE operation; a U.S. District Court ordered his release over two weeks later, and he is no longer in federal custody.
History
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