The Justice Department is investigating Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over claims that they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement through public statements. The probe follows weeks of escalating protests in Minneapolis after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three and U.S. citizen.
Federal immigration operations had already been underway in the city, but the situation intensified after Good’s death. Both Walz and Frey have criticized federal officials, questioning the justification for the officer’s actions and the FBI’s exclusion of local authorities from the investigation. CBS News first reported the DOJ inquiry.
Governor Walz described the investigation as politically motivated. In a Friday statement, he said, “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.” He added that the federal agent who shot Good remains uninvestigated.
Mayor Frey said he would not be intimidated. “This is 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,” he said. “Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid.”
The Justice Department has declined to comment. The statute being used in the investigation has rarely been applied and traces its origins to the Civil War era. It was listed in a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, which outlined how federal prosecutors could expand investigations into individuals labeled domestic terrorists. Bondi tweeted Friday, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”
Legal experts have raised concerns about potential First Amendment violations, noting that investigating public officials for political speech typically requires consultation with the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section. However, the section has been weakened and largely sidelined during the current administration.
Aaron Terry, director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, called the investigation “blatantly unconstitutional and intolerable in a free society.” He emphasized that criticizing government actions without fear of punishment is a core First Amendment right.
Tensions remain high in Minneapolis. On Thursday night, a federal officer shot a man in the leg after he allegedly fled a traffic stop and attacked the officer. The city continues to grapple with the aftermath of the Good shooting and the federal immigration enforcement surge, creating a highly charged political and public safety environment.
The DOJ investigation into Walz and Frey highlights growing friction between local officials and federal authorities, raising questions about the balance between constitutional rights and law enforcement oversight in politically sensitive cases.