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The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Minnesota officials, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over allegations they conspired to impede federal immigration agents, marking a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s confrontation with state and local leaders in Minnesota, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
A U.S. official said the inquiry centers on public statements Walz and Frey made criticizing the deployment of thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks. Subpoenas are expected to be issued as part of the investigation, sources said.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
The investigation comes amid heightened tensions following the killing of Minnesota resident Renee Good by an ICE officer last week, an incident that has sparked protests, clashes with federal agents and renewed scrutiny of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Federal Deployment Triggers Backlash
Nearly 3,000 federal immigration agents have been dispatched to the Twin Cities area in what the Department of Homeland Security has described as the largest operation in its history. Officials say the mission is focused on arresting people suspected of being in the country illegally and investigating fraud schemes in Minnesota.
State and local leaders, however, have accused federal agents of inflaming tensions and undermining public safety through aggressive enforcement tactics.
Earlier this week, Frey said the deployment was creating an untenable situation for local law enforcement.
“We’re in a position right now where we have residents that are asking the very limited number of police officers that we have to fight ICE agents on the street,” Frey said. “We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another.”
Both Walz and Frey have called for protests to remain peaceful. Walz urged Minnesotans on social media Thursday not to “fan the flames of chaos.”
Officials Push Back
In a statement to CBS News, Frey accused the administration of using the investigation as political intimidation.
“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,” Frey said. “I will not be intimidated.”
Walz echoed those concerns, framing the probe as part of a broader pattern.
“Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic,” Walz said in a statement, citing other recent administration actions. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Administration Signals Crackdown
Trump administration officials have publicly suggested that Minnesota leaders could face legal consequences.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X on Friday, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who visited Minneapolis this week alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, appeared to allude to the probe in a social media post earlier this week, writing that he was focused on stopping Walz and Frey “by whatever means necessary.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has accused the governor and mayor of encouraging interference with federal officers, calling such actions a federal felony.
“Mayor Frey and Governor Walz have to get their city under control,” Noem said Thursday. “They are encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement.”
Legal Focus of the Probe
According to a U.S. official, investigators are examining potential violations of 18 U.S.C. § 372, a federal statute that makes it a crime for two or more people to conspire to prevent federal officers from carrying out their official duties through force, intimidation or threats.
Historically, the statute has been used in cases involving coordinated efforts to obstruct federal officials, particularly where violence or threats are involved. Legal experts note that public criticism of federal policy is generally protected speech unless it crosses into direct coordination or incitement to interfere with law enforcement.
The investigation unfolds as Minnesota becomes a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s broader push to aggressively expand immigration enforcement — and as courts, state leaders and civil liberties groups scrutinize the federal government’s tactics.
