The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Volz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, for allegedly conspiring to obstruct immigration agents, a source familiar with the investigation said Friday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said subpoenas had been prepared for Volc and Frej as part of the investigation, but it was not immediately clear whether they had been served.
The investigation, first reported by CBS News, stems from statements by Volc and Frey about thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks at the behest of President Donald Trump, the source said.
Reacting on social media to news of the investigation, Volz, who unsuccessfully ran for vice president in the 2024 election that Trump won, said the federal justice system was being used as a weapon to intimidate Trump's perceived political enemies.
"Two days ago it was Elisa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Using the judicial system as a weapon against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic," said Walz.
The governor was referring to U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, Democrats from Michigan and Arizona, who issued a video statement urging members of the military to resist illegal orders, and to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump has criticized as being too hesitant to lower interest rates.
Reacting to CNN's report on the investigation, Frey said separately: "This is a blatant attempt at intimidation because I have stood up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement and residents against the chaos and danger that this administration has brought to our city."
The Justice Department declined to comment. But U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a message on the social media platform X on Friday night saying: "A reminder to everyone in Minnesota; No one is above the law."
It would be highly unusual for federal prosecutors to launch a criminal conspiracy case based on statements made by public officials about government policies, Hina reports.
The Trump administration has sent nearly 3.000 federal agents to Minnesota since the beginning of last week, sparking angry protests in Minneapolis over the surge in immigration agents on the streets of the state's most populous city. Clashes between residents and federal officers have escalated since an ICE agent fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Goode, 37, while driving his car in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, sparking daily protests that have spread to other cities.
While he urged protesters to remain calm, Volz also encouraged citizens to videotape any arrests or other encounters between ICE agents and the public to create a database for potential "future prosecutions" of unlawful acts by police.
Waltz and Frey have repeatedly demanded that Trump end the deployment of ICE, saying the militarized deportation is a reckless operation aimed at sowing chaos, fear and headlines, and that it puts civilians at risk.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this week blamed Volz and Frey for the clashes and said he was focused on stopping them "by any means necessary."
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