Federal prosecutors subpoena offices of Minnesota governor, mayors, prosecutors over ICE crackdown

Federal prosecutors began delivering subpoenas Tuesday, Jan. 20, to the offices of Minnesota’s governor, the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and other officials as part of an investigation into whether they’ve impeded a federal immigration crackdown in the state.

The subpoenas seek records from their offices as part of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Minnesota officials for “possible violations of federal criminal laws” amid an intense immigration enforcement operation in recent weeks and marks an escalation of the conflict between state and federal officials over President Donald Trump ordering thousands of immigration agents into the state.

Some of the state officials whose officers were subpoenaed called the move an attempt to weaponize the DOJ against them and infringe on their First Amendment rights to express opposition to the Trump administration’s actions.

Gov. Tim Walz released a statement saying Minnesota “will not be drawn into political theater.” Walz said his focus is on protecting Minnesotans.

“Families are scared. Kids are afraid to go to school. Small businesses are hurting,” Walz said. “A mother is dead, and the people responsible have yet to be held accountable.”

After an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good earlier this month, tension between protesters and ICE agents ramped up, leading to frequent, sometimes violent, clashes. Minneapolis police have largely stayed out of it because the city has an ordinance barring city workers from helping enforce federal immigration laws. The Minneapolis City Council voted in December to strengthen the ordinance.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded to Good’s killing by saying ICE should get the “fuck” out of Minneapolis, and Walz has condemned the crackdown.

Frey characterized the subpoena as the federal government using its power to try to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs.

“We shouldn’t have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with,” he said in a statement. “In Minneapolis, we won’t be afraid.”

Subpoenas were also delivered to the offices of top state prosecutors, who launched an independent review of an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of Renee Good after the FBI removed the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) from their investigation, leaving state investigators without access to evidence such as Good’s SUV, a shell casing and witness interviews.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Jan. 9 they would do their own review of Good’s killing.

Hennepin County received a subpoena, but not Moriarty or the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office specifically, spokesman Daniel Borgertpoepping said in an email.

“Everything about this is highly irregular, especially the fact that this comes shortly after my office sued the Trump Administration to challenge their illegal actions within Minnesota,” Ellison said.”