The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, according to two people familiar with the matter, a significant escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution against his critics and a move that is almost certain to further inflame tensions with the state.
The investigation focuses on allegations of obstructing federal immigration enforcement amid protests throughout Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week. A second shooting incident occurred Wednesday when a federal agent shot a man in the leg; his relatives and the Department of Homeland Security have given contrasting accounts of that episode.
Neither Frey nor Walz said they are aware of any subpoenas being served to their offices, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. The investigation is being led by the office of Daniel Rosen, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota. His office faced a raft of resignations this week after declining to open a use-of-force investigation into Good’s death and instead reportedly launching an inquiry into her widow.
The investigation of two prominent Minnesota Democrats at such a fraught moment marks a new front in the president’s push to punish his perceived foes. In Trump’s second term, the Justice Department has repeatedly targeted officials who have investigated him, criticized him or otherwise opposed his policies. Among those figures are former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.
“Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said in a statement. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Frey called the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”
Minnesota officials have been intensely critical of federal agents’ presence and conduct in the state, repeatedly demanding that ICE officers leave Minnesota, accusing them of causing disorder and endangering residents.
The Trump administration, in turn, has accused leading Minnesota Democrats of allowing “professional agitators” to sow chaos, though it has not provided evidence to support that claim. On Thursday, President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy military forces to quell the unrest, prompting a plea from Walz to “turn the temperature down.” The White House, however, has continued to place responsibility on Democratic leaders. “Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and Democrat leaders in Minnesota have done nothing but turn up the temperature, smear heroic ICE officers, and incite violence against them — all in defense of criminal illegal aliens,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Ken Dilanian is the justice and intelligence correspondent for MS NOW.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News. Recommended
