The US Justice Department has issued subpoenas to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The politicians are required to disclose documents on cooperation with immigration authorities. Walz and Frey view this as an intimidation attempt by the Trump administration.
The US government has initiated legal action against Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota after he criticized President Donald Trump's immigration policy and the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The Justice Department in Washington announced that a grand jury has issued subpoenas to Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. These demand the disclosure of documents since early 2025 related to cooperation or lack thereof with federal immigration authorities.
Mayor Jacob Frey published the letter addressed to his office and called it an attempt to silence local voices. "We should not live in a country where federal prosecution is used to make politics or to go against local voices whose opinion one does not share," Frey said. Governor Walz described the investigation as a distraction tactic and intimidation of public servants standing by their communities.
The background involves harsh measures by federal agencies against migrants in Minnesota. Over the past weeks, Trump has deployed thousands of ICE and border protection staff to the Minneapolis area. Armed and often masked forces in military camouflage triggered protests, during which officers used tear gas and irritants. The US government holds Walz and Frey responsible for the unrest, which they deny.
The situation escalated about two weeks ago when US citizen Renee Good was shot by an ICE agent in her car. Outrage also arose over the treatment of Black, Latin American, and Asian-American US citizens who were stopped or detained based on their appearance.
