type: timeline_event
The Department of Justice served grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and officials from Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, escalating a criminal investigation into whether their public criticism of ICE operations constituted obstruction of federal law enforcement.
The investigation used 18 U.S.C. § 372, a Civil War-era statute making it a crime to conspire to prevent federal officers from carrying out duties through "force, intimidation or threats"—the same law used against January 6 defendants including Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. The subpoena to Frey's office demanded eight categories of documents including all records showing "cooperation or lack of cooperation with federal law enforcement" and "refusal to come to the aid of immigration officials."
Governor Walz responded: "Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her." Mayor Frey stated: "This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis... I will not be intimidated."
Legal experts questioned the probe's validity. Georgetown law professor Mary McCord noted: "Impeding would have to be something more than that. Impeding would require some sort of force." The officials' statements condemning ICE and encouraging residents to record agents constituted protected First Amendment speech. The investigation came days after Ellison's office sued the Trump administration over Operation Metro Surge.