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Sunday, 18 January 2026
US Justice Department opens criminal investigation into Minnesota officials.
The
Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
(pictured) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have impeded federal
immigration enforcement. (Reuters: Mike Blake )
In short:
The
US Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Governor Tim
Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials have impeded
federal immigration enforcement.
The
investigation stems from statements made by Mr Walz and Mr Frey about
the thousands of ICE officers deployed to Minneapolis in recent weeks
under President Donald Trump's orders.
In
response to reports of the investigation, Mr Walz said the federal
justice system was being weaponised to intimidate the president's
perceived political enemies.
The
US Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation of Minnesota
officials over an alleged conspiracy to impede immigration agents, a
source familiar with the probe said.
The
source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said subpoenas were
prepared for Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part
of the inquiry.
It was not immediately clear whether they had been served.
The
investigation, first reported by CBS News, stems from statements made
by Mr Walz and Mr Frey about the thousands of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) officers deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent
weeks under orders from the president, the source said.
Walz claims Trump has 'weaponised federal justice system'
Reacting
on social media to news of the investigation, Mr Walz, who
unsuccessfully ran for the vice presidency in the 2024 election won by
Mr Trump, said the federal justice system was being weaponised to
intimidate the president's perceived political enemies.
"Two
days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week, it was Jerome Powell. Before
that, Mark Kelly. Weaponising the justice system against your opponents
is an authoritarian tactic," Mr Walz said.
The
governor was referring to US 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.
Reacting
to a CNN report on the investigation, Mr Frey said separately: "This is
an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis,
local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this
Administration has brought to our city."
The Justice Department declined to comment.
US
Attorney-General Pam Bondi posted 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 bring a criminal conspiracy
case based on statements from public officials about government
policies.
State calls for peaceful protests
The
Trump administration has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota
since early last week, triggering protests in Minneapolis over the surge
in ICE agents in 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.
Although
he has urged protesters to remain peaceful, Mr Walz has also encouraged
citizens to record video of any arrests or other encounters between ICE
agents and members of the public to create a database for potential
"future prosecution" of wrongdoing by law enforcement.
Tim Walz slams the Trump administration after a woman was shot dead by an ICE agent.
Mr
Walz and Mr Frey have repeatedly demanded that the president end the
ICE deployment, saying the militarised deportation drive was a reckless
operation aimed at sowing chaos.
Deputy
US Attorney-General Todd Blanche earlier this week blamed Mr Walz and
Mr Frey for the confrontations and said he was focused on stopping them
by "whatever means necessary".
Judge rules feds can't detain peaceful protesters
A Judge has ruled that federal officers in Minneapolis cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters.
The ruling by US District Judge Kate Menendez included people observing the agents.
The
ruling prohibits the officers from detaining drivers and passengers in
vehicles when there is no reasonable suspicion they are obstructing or
interfering with the officers.
Safely
following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself,
create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop”, the ruling said.
Ms
Menendez said the agents would not be allowed to arrest people without
probable cause or reasonable suspicion the person had committed a crime
or was obstructing or interfering with the activities of officers.
The
activists in the case are being represented by the American Civil
Liberties Union of Minnesota, which says government officers are
violating the constitutional rights of local residents.
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