The Justice Department has subpoenaed top Minnesota officials as part of a criminal investigation into their response to the Trump administration’s hostile immigration crackdown in the North Star State.
The offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison — all Democrats — received subpoenas, MS NOW has learned.
A source familiar with the investigation confirmed on Tuesday that federal prosecutors have issued a subpoena to Frey’s office. The governor’s office confirmed that it, too, had received a subpoena. Ellison also confirmed in a statement that his office received a grand jury subpoena.
Ellison said the subpoena requests documents “related to my office’s work with respect to federal immigration enforcement, not for me personally.”
The New York Times was first to report on the Justice Department subpoenas, which were also reportedly issued to St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
MS NOW had previously reported that the Justice Department opened criminal investigations into Walz and Frey, both of whom have vocally condemned the presence — and conduct — of federal officers, including the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
But the new subpoenas mark a sharp escalation from the Trump administration as it seeks to bring Minnesota, roiled by protests against Good’s killing and ICE’s violent conduct, to heel.
In a statement Tuesday, Walz declared he would not be “intimidated into silence.”
“The state of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater,” Walz said. “This Justice Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, does not seek justice. It is a partisan distraction.”
Frey has similarly called the DOJ investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me.”
Congressional Democrats have also criticized the targeting of Minnesota leaders. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Trump is “using the justice system as a shield for his cronies and a sword to attack his opponents.”
“Instead of deporting ‘the worst of the worst,’ Donald Trump is targeting communities that didn’t vote for him, like Chicago and Minneapolis, rounding up tens of thousands of immigrants, or people who look like immigrants, with no criminal history, and attacking peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights,” Durbin said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.