DOJ Subpoenas Walz, Other MN Democrats in ICE Obstruction Probe
Federal prosecutors have issued sweeping subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and multiple high-ranking Democratic officials as part of a Justice Department investigation into whether state and local leaders deliberately obstructed federal immigration enforcement and interfered with ICE operations.
According to multiple reports, subpoenas were served to Walz, Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. Investigators are examining whether Minnesota Democrats coordinated efforts to block ICE agents from executing federal orders — and whether state officials turned a blind eye to an expansive fraud scheme involving Somali-run nonprofit organizations accused of siphoning millions in U.S. taxpayer funds.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly warned Walz and Frey last week that the Trump administration was “focused on stopping you from your terrorism by whatever means necessary.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem separately accused both officials of “fostering an environment of hostility toward federal officers.”
The probe follows the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old far-left activist who, according to federal authorities, attempted to ram an ICE officer with her SUV during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The officer fired in self-defense, officials said, after suffering internal bleeding to his torso when struck by the vehicle. DHS confirmed the agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, was hospitalized and later released, but has since gone into hiding amid credible death threats.
The shooting triggered riots across Minneapolis and fierce political backlash from Democrats, who accused ICE of excessive force despite federal findings that the agent’s life was in danger. President Donald J. Trump, now serving his second term, warned he would invoke the Insurrection Act if necessary to restore order, vowing not to allow “professional agitators and insurrectionists” to attack federal officers with impunity.
Gov. Walz condemned the subpoenas as politically motivated, posting on X: “Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.” He added, “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Mayor Frey echoed that narrative, accusing the Trump administration of intimidation. “An obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos this administration has brought to our city,” Frey claimed. He added, “I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.”
Minnesota Democrats quickly rallied behind the subpoenaed officials. Sen. Amy Klobuchar labeled the investigation “an assault on our democracy and the rule of law,” arguing that “speaking out against what our government is doing is not a crime in America.” Reps. Betty McCollum and Angie Craig accused the administration of “political retribution,” with Craig writing, “It’s always been about political retribution for President Trump and his allies. I’m standing with @GovTimWalz and @MayorFrey.”
National Democrats joined the chorus. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed that “in Donald Trump’s America you get a bogus investigation for doing your job,” while Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned that Democrats “will not be bullied into submission.”
As the political firestorm intensified, a federal judge imposed new restrictions on ICE operations in Minnesota. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that agents may not arrest or detain individuals “engaged in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity,” a decision critics argue further hampers law enforcement as violence escalates across the Twin Cities.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem rejected claims that the demonstrations have been peaceful, stating that “law enforcement officers are being assaulted, their vehicles are being attacked, and city leaders are standing by doing nothing.” Attorney General Pam Bondi reinforced that message, posting: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”
Administration officials have described Minnesota as a potential “test case” for whether local governments can openly defy federal immigration law without consequences. As the investigation unfolds, ICE officers continue to report violent resistance during enforcement operations, including attacks involving rocks, fireworks, and improvised weapons. Several agents have reportedly been injured.
“This isn’t about politics,” a senior DHS official said. “It’s about enforcing federal law and protecting the men and women who are risking their lives to do it.”
Neither the Department of Justice nor the governor’s office responded to media inquiries by press time.