CHICAGO (WLS) — In a heartfelt gathering on Wednesday, the congregation at St. Sabina Church warmly welcomed Father Michael Pfleger back into their midst. His return comes after a period of absence, during which the Archdiocese of Chicago temporarily removed him following an abuse allegation that was later deemed baseless by church officials.

This past Monday marked Father Pfleger’s official reinstatement by the Archdiocese, which concluded that the accusations lacked substance. Jubilant parishioners expressed their support by embracing the seasoned pastor and commemorated the occasion with photographs after the service.

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Addressing the congregation, Pfleger expressed deep gratitude, saying, “I am honored and I am humble to be your pastor. I want to thank all those who stood by me because they believed in me.”

With a remarkable tenure of 45 years at St. Sabina, Pfleger has faced similar allegations in the past, all of which were dismissed as unfounded by the church.

In his speech, Pfleger voiced criticism of the Archdiocese for the methods employed in handling such allegations, underscoring the need for a more just process.

“the Archdiocese policy is unjust and it’s broken. There is no balance nor fairness without a simple investigation, a background check, or even an interview,” he said.

His attorney, James Figliulo, said the case highlights the need for changes to the process while maintaining protections for children.

“We can still protect children and provide a fair process for the priests, and that’s what we’re going to do. And there’s 100 ways to do it, and we’re going to work together to get it done. And we’re not letting it go,” Figlio said.

Among those attending the celebration of Pfleger’s return were students and staff from Leo High School. Dr. Shaka Rawls, the school’s president and principal, said the situation offered an example for students.

“I have a school full of Black and brown young men, and false accusations are unfortunately pretty common in our community. So I want to show them firsthand how to fight, combat these things, how to be aware of these things, and how to move forward,” Rawls said.

Church member Joyce Maltbia also expressed support for Pfleger’s reinstatement.

“So thrilled that justice is served and that god has spoken and god has returned him to his rightful place,” Maltbia said.

Pfleger acknowledged that he has faced death threats over the years because of his activism. The longtime white pastor of a predominantly Black church said he intends to continue speaking out on issues he believes are important.

“I am not going to remain silent, and I will not be silenced. In fact, I am going to turn up the value on justice, on righteousness, on truth, and on love,” Pfleger said.

During his time away from the congregation, Pfleger said he was also undergoing radiation treatments for cancer. He said he is now cancer-free.

Sunday will mark Pfleger’s return to the pulpit after a seven-week absence at St. Sabina in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

In a significant development for Minnesota’s efforts to detain ICE agent Christian Castro in Texas, a federal judge dismissed their urgent plea on Wednesday. This plea aimed to prevent Castro’s release the following Thursday, posing a challenge to their legal maneuvers.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. decided against Minnesota’s bid for a temporary restraining order. The request sought to stop Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino from releasing Castro as Governor Greg Abbott deliberates on whether to extradite him to face assault charges.

Governor Abbott’s office quickly reacted to the judicial decision, referring to Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s request as “absurd,” voicing their approval of the court’s ruling.

“The court rightly dismissed Governor Walz’s illogical demand,” remarked Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Abbott, in a statement to News Media. “The Constitution mandates careful consideration of extradition requests, entrusting Governor Abbott with the responsibility to assess evidence he finds satisfactory to determine if the individual in question is indeed a fugitive.”

“Today’s order rebuffs Minnesota’s efforts to conscript federal courts into commandeering the authority of Governor Abbott’s office,” Mahaleris added.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison blasted Abbott after the ruling, insisting Castro will still face the charges brought against him.

“Regardless of today’s ruling, Christian Castro will not escape justice in Minnesota,” Ellison said in a statement. “Minnesota should never have had to file this lawsuit or this motion … Abbott is playing with constitutional fire.”

Ellison also accused the Texas governor of “turning Texas into a sanctuary state for violent criminals.”

Castro’s 90-day detention period under Texas law expires Thursday. Trevino’s counsel told the court that without a court order or a rendition warrant signed by Abbott, Castro would be released from the Cameron County Jail.

Rodriguez wrote that Minnesota “fails to satisfy the requirements for the issuance of a temporary restraining order.”

Minnesota had asked the court to force Abbott to immediately issue a rendition warrant and prevent Castro’s release in the meantime. The state warned Castro could flee to Mexico, pointing to jail calls with a woman described in court filings as his romantic partner who lives in Progreso, Mexico.

According to the order, Castro discussed buying property and moving to Mexico in the future. Minnesota argued that if he left the country, it could take months or years to secure his return and prosecute him.

But Rodriguez ruled that Minnesota’s lawsuit was premature because Abbott has not yet denied its extradition request.

“The record reflects only that Governor Abbott has neither agreed nor refused to sign the rendition warrant as to Castro,” the judge wrote.

Abbott instead directed the Texas secretary of state to investigate whether Castro should be surrendered, a step permitted under Texas’ Uniform Criminal Extradition Act. Rodriguez found that neither the Constitution nor state and federal extradition laws at issue impose a set deadline for Abbott to complete that review.

“The Court concludes that this matter does not present an issue ripe for adjudication,” Rodriguez wrote.

Minnesota formally requested Castro’s extradition in early June, after he was arrested in Cameron County on the state’s warrant. The court noted Abbott has considered the matter for an “atypically-long duration,” but said Minnesota identified no law requiring the governor to act within a particular time frame.

Castro was charged in May with four felony counts of second-degree assault and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime stemming from a January ICE operation in Minnesota.

According to the order, Castro fired one shot through the closed front door of a home, injuring a person in the leg. 

The shooting sparked protests in north Minneapolis and has become part of a broader political and legal battle between Minnesota officials and the Trump administration over state prosecutions of ICE agents who took part in Operation Metro Surge.

Minnesota prosecutors have separately charged ICE agent Gregory Morgan Jr. with two counts of second-degree assault after alleging he pointed a handgun at motorists during a traffic confrontation after an enforcement operation.

DHS has accused Minnesota “sanctuary politicians” of staging a “political stunt,” while Minnesota officials have argued the agents’ alleged conduct fell outside their federal law-enforcement duties.

Abbott has raised questions about whether Castro can be considered a fugitive for extradition purposes because he returned to Texas on orders from federal immigration officials after the January incident.

Rodriguez, however, signaled skepticism of that reasoning in a footnote.

“The Court has doubts that caselaw supports the construction of ‘fugitive’ that Texas is considering,” he wrote, noting that long-standing precedent appears to focus on whether an accused person left the state — not why.

Still, the judge said that question did not alter Wednesday’s decision.

The ruling leaves Castro’s immediate fate in Abbott’s hands. If no rendition warrant is issued and no court order intervenes, he is expected to be released Thursday.

Walz did not immediately respond to News Media’s request for comment.

Highlights from the Giants’ practice session on Wednesday:

Something good

Isaiah Hodgins, the standout receiver during the 2022 playoffs and often overlooked in current discussions, delivered an impressive performance on Wednesday. He executed a remarkable one-handed catch near the sideline, keeping himself inbounds before tumbling outward. Hodgins also successfully caught a two-point conversion pass. Meanwhile, Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham were significantly active as well, with Beckham executing a touchdown catch on a familiar route, reminiscent of his end-zone drop against the Dolphins.

Something bad

During the move-the-ball drill, the Giants faced challenges with their timing, committing two false starts. Quarterback Jaxson Dart’s attempts to utilize a hard count seem to be causing more confusion than advantage.

Caught my eye

Although the Giants managed to navigate training camp without any internal altercations, tensions did rise somewhat on Wednesday. Running back Cam Skattebo found himself in a heated exchange with defensive backs Greg Newsome and Jevon Holland, prompting intervention to de-escalate the situation. Additionally, Brian Burns engaged in a post-whistle discussion with coach John Harbaugh. Despite the earlier friction, Skattebo later approached the defensive sideline in a gesture of reconciliation.

Injury report

WR Malik Nabers unexpectedly left practice during the final drill – walking side-by-side with return-to0play coordinator Allie Boudreau into the facility – but Harbaugh said he would have heard after practice if there was an injury. DT Shelby Harris worked on the side with a trainer during team drills. Theo Johnson (shoulder) came out to practice late and watched from the sideline. RG Sisi Maugioa and RT Jermaine Eluemunor returned to full participants.