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The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in connection with an alleged conspiracy to obstruct immigration agents, a source familiar with the investigation said Friday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said subpoenas had been prepared for Walz and Frey as part of the investigation, but it was not immediately clear whether they had been served.
The investigation, first reported by CBS News, stems from statements made by Walz and Frey regarding thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks at the behest of President Donald Trump, the source said.
Reacting on social media to news of the investigation, Walz, who ran unsuccessfully for vice president in the 2024 election won by Trump, said the federal justice system is being used as a weapon to intimidate Trump's perceived political enemies.
"Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Using the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic," Walz said.
The governor was referring to U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, Democrats from Michigan and Arizona, who made a video statement urging members of the military to resist illegal orders, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump has criticized as too reluctant to raise interest rates.
Reacting to a CNN report on the investigation, Frey said "this is a clear attempt to intimidate me who is defending Minneapolis, local law enforcement and residents against the chaos and danger that this administration has brought to our city."
The Justice Department declined to comment. But U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a message on the social media platform X on Friday evening, saying: "a reminder to all those in Minnesota, no one is above the law."
It would be highly unusual for federal prosecutors to file a criminal conspiracy charge based on statements by public officials regarding government policies.
The Trump administration has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota since the beginning of last week, sparking angry protests in Minneapolis over the increased number of immigration agents on the streets of the state's most populous city.
Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense after an ICE agent fatally shot a US citizen, Renee Good, 37, behind the wheel of her car, in Minneapolis on January 7, sparking daily protests that have spread to other cities.
Although he has urged protesters to remain calm, Walz has also encouraged citizens to record video of any arrests or other encounters between ICE agents and members of the public in order to create a database for possible future "criminal prosecution" of violations by law enforcement.
Walz and Frey have repeatedly called for Trump to end the deployment of ICE, saying the militarized deportation operation was a reckless operation aimed at sowing chaos, fear and headlines, and was putting civilians at risk.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this week blamed Walz and Frey for the confrontations and said he was focused on stopping them by "any means necessary."
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