The Justice Department has served grand jury subpoenas to several top Minnesota government officials as part of a federal investigation into whether state and local leaders obstructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) appeared to acknowledge the investigation on Tuesday in a public statement on X, accusing the Trump administration of using the Justice Department to target political opponents. His statement came amid multiple reports that the DOJ delivered grand jury subpoenas to at least five Minnesota entities, including the offices of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, all Democrats.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 20, 2026
“The State of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater,” Walz wrote. “This Justice Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good [who was shot by an ICE officer while protesting from her car], does not seek justice. It is a partisan distraction.”
Walz did not explicitly mention subpoenas, but he repeatedly referenced a federal investigation focused on Minnesota officials and described it as “baseless legal tactics aimed at intimidating public servants.”
The subpoenas are said to seek records and internal communications related to alleged interference with federal immigration enforcement. The DOJ declined to comment.
The reported subpoenas are tied to a widening federal inquiry into whether Minnesota leaders conspired to impede or obstruct ICE agents during recent immigration operations in the Twin Cities.
The investigation follows weeks of mounting tension between the Trump administration and Minnesota Democrats over how local officials have responded to stepped-up federal immigration actions.
Last week, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that some public statements by Walz and Frey were approaching potential criminal conduct.
“When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he’s encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,” Blanche said during a Fox News interview.
Walz pushed back forcefully in his Tuesday statement, framing the DOJ investigation as retaliation for political disagreement.
“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,” he wrote. “Minnesota will not be intimidated into silence and neither will I.”
Previous reports emerged late last week suggesting the DOJ had opened an investigation into Walz and Frey surrounding obstruction allegations. The mayor responded defiantly in a social media post on Friday, saying he would not back down.
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. I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe. https://t.co/psaWb825sL
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 17, 2026
“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. “I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe.”
Unlike Walz, who announced on Jan. 5 he would not run for a third term in the wake of massive fraud allegations plaguing his state, Ellison said Tuesday afternoon that he would remain in the race for reelection.
As the federal government targets Minnesota, I’m staying in this race to defend our state as Attorney General. pic.twitter.com/Ln0MZWLXwg
— Keith Ellison (@keithellison) January 20, 2026
“With my friend Tim deciding not to run for re-election, many have asked if I would consider running for that office. And I have. But as the federal government declares war on Minnesota, it is clear to me that I am best equipped to defend Minnesotans from the Office of the Attorney General. Last October, I announced my campaign for a third term as Attorney General, and I intend to stay in this race,” Ellison said Tuesday in prepared remarks.
The burgeoning investigation stems from Minnesota officials’ public confrontations against the Trump administration this month, as residents have engaged in weeks of sometimes violent protests against ICE operations in Minnesota.
TIM WALZ AND JACOB FREY UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION BY DOJ
In a statement last week, Walz called on Minnesotans to protest “loudly” but “peacefully,” and to “carry your phone with you at all times” to record ICE agents operating in local communities.
“Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans, not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution,” Walz said.