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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Subpoenas served at offices of Minnesota governor, mayor, DOJ official says

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents charge towards demonstrators during a protest outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, more than a week after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 16, 2026.   (Tim Evans/Reuters)
By Jana Winter and Costas Pitas Reuters

The Department of Justice served grand jury subpoenas on Tuesday to Minnesota government offices, including those of Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a department official said, amid protests and an immigration ‌enforcement crackdown in the state. 

A source familiar with ‌the investigation had said last week ‌that the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation of Walz, Frey and others over an alleged conspiracy to impede ​immigration agents. Democratic politicians in Minnesota ‌have called for ⁠calm, but have also been sharply critical of what they see ‌as a politically motivated crackdown by Republican President Donald Trump’s administration.

Walz said on X earlier on Tuesday: “This Justice ‌Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, ‌does not seek ​justice. ‌It is a partisan distraction. Minnesotans are more concerned with safety and peace rather than with baseless legal tactics ‌aimed at intimidating public servants standing shoulder to shoulder with their community.”

Frey said on January ​16 he would “not be intimidated” by reports the DOJ planned to subpoena him. “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,” Frey wrote on X.