The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued subpoenas Friday to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), citing allegations that both officials obstructed federal law enforcement officers from performing their duties, according to reporting from The Washington Post.
The subpoenas are part of a broader DOJ investigation into whether Walz and Frey violated federal law, specifically a statute concerning conspiracy to impede a federal investigation.
In response, Governor Walz criticized the move as politically motivated. “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin,” he said in a statement obtained by NewsNation, referencing other high-profile investigations. “Before that, Mark Kelly, Jerome Powell. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Mayor Frey echoed the sentiment, framing the subpoenas as an attempt to intimidate him and local authorities. “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. My focus will remain where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.” He added, “America depends on leaders that use integrity and the rule of law as the guideposts for governance. Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid.”
The subpoenas come amid heightened federal attention on Minnesota following a series of contentious ICE operations. Earlier this month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Good during an operation, prompting nationwide protests. Mayor Frey responded by ordering ICE to “get the f— out of Minneapolis,” while Governor Walz called for calm and urged demonstrators to remain peaceful.
The federal response escalated after President Trump deployed thousands of ICE officers to the state, citing welfare fraud concerns in the Somali-American community and ending temporary protected status for Somali residents in November 2025. Trump had also suggested the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to quell unrest in Minnesota, though he later stepped back from that threat.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller previously told The Charlie Kirk Show that the federal government was considering whether Minnesota officials were “abetting and encouraging” protests, describing the situation as an “insurgency against the federal government.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) filed suit to block the federal surge, arguing that the deployment of ICE officers was unlawful. Meanwhile, Walz called on the president to “turn the temperature down” on the conflict in his state. “Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Walz said.
The investigation into Walz and Frey marks the latest development in the Trump administration’s focus on Minnesota, raising questions about federal authority, local governance, and the use of law enforcement in politically charged disputes.
