Federal Investigation Targets Minnesota Officials

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice issued grand jury subpoenas to five state agencies in Minnesota, including the offices of the Governor, the Attorney General, and the Mayor of Minneapolis. This comes amid a federal investigation into claims that officials conspired to hinder federal law enforcement during ongoing operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota, according to sources.

The FBI has reportedly demanded records and communications, although the Justice Department has not commented on the situation.

Recently, it was revealed that federal prosecutors are looking into Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for potential obstruction of law enforcement.

Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche articulated that the anti-ICE remarks made by the two officials could amount to a federal crime.

Blanche noted, “For a governor or a mayor to threaten an employee or suggest that individuals should call 911 if they see an ICE agent is very close to being a federal crime.”

In response, Walz accused the Trump administration of “weaponizing the justice system,” citing what he claimed were previous instances where political figures were targeted. He stated, “Weaponizing the justice system against your adversaries is an authoritarian tactic.”

Mayor Frey also took to social media, asserting that he “will not be intimidated” by the investigation. He characterized it as an attempt to undermine his commitment to the safety of Minneapolis residents.

The White House later condemned the actions of protesters who disrupted a church service in the Twin Cities, suggesting that Walz and Frey encouraged such chaos. White House press secretary Abigail Jackson criticized the two leaders for inciting disorder, stating that they should be ashamed of the resulting chaos.

Jackson’s comments followed reports that protesters interrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, alleging that the pastor had ties to ICE.

In light of these events, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that the Justice Department would investigate potential civil rights violations regarding the disturbance of the worship service.