The Justice Department has sent subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other state leaders, escalating its investigation into whether state officials conspired to impede law enforcement during the Trump administration’s immigration operations, according to a document reviewed by NBC News and a person familiar with the investigation.
The subpoenas were also sent to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the office of St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and two counties, according to the document and the person familiar with the probe.
NBC News has reached out to their offices for comment.
In a statement to NBC News, Frey sharply criticized the Trump administration and accused the Justice Department of misusing its power.
“When the federal government weaponizes its power to try to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned. 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,” Frey added.
“In Minneapolis, we won’t be afraid. We know the difference between right and wrong and, as Mayor, I’ll continue doing the job I was elected to do: keeping our community safe and standing up for our values,” the Democratic mayor added.
In a statement, Ellison said the subpoena was “for records and documents, not for me personally.”
“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,” the state attorney general said.
“Let’s be clear about why this is happening: Donald Trump is coming after the people of Minnesota and I’m standing in his way,” Ellison added. “I will not be intimidated, and I will not stop working to protect Minnesotans from Trump’s campaign of retaliation and revenge.”
The investigation comes after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, during an immigration enforcement operation. The killing sparked protests and led to clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in scenes that have drawn national attention.
The federal statute invoked in the investigation into Minnesota officials has been rarely used and has roots in the Civil War era. But it was on a list of statutes in a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, obtained by NBC News, that offered a road map for federal prosecutors on how to charge political agitators with crimes.
Federal officials are also investigating Good’s partner to determine whether she may have impeded a federal officer moments before Good was shot and killed, two people familiar with the investigation said.
Walz has said previously: “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.” He was referring to ICE officer Jonathan Ross, a war veteran who spent over a decade working for the Department of Homeland Security.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
