Minneapolis mayor, Walz targets of probe
Officials have called for ICE agent was to leave city
By Michael Loria
USA Today
..... Justice Department officials launched an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in connection with a suspected conspiracy to impede federal immigration enforcement in the state, according to reports by Reuters and The Washington Post.
.....
The investigation comes amid a growing feud between Minnesota's Democratic leaders and President Donald Trump. The Department of Homeland Security has sent thousands of officers to the state in what it;s calling its "largest immigration operation ever" to combat fraud in social welfare programs that officials say is linked to Somali immigrants.
..... Walz and Frey have called for immigration authorities to leave the state, especially after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
.....
In a statement, Walz blasted the administration for the reported investigation.
..... "Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last Week [01/06/2026] it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic, the former candidate for vice president said. "The only persons not being investigated for the shooting of Reece Good is the federal agent who shot her."
.....
Justice Department officials have said there is "no basis" for an investigation into Jonathan Ross, the ICE officer whew shot and killed Good on January 7. [2026]
..... The DOJ is instead moving to investigate Good's widow, according to reporting by outlets including The New York Times and NBC News. Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joe Thompson, who was appointed to investigate the state's fraud scandal, and other federal prosecutors resigned over the probe.
..... "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 borught to our streets,"Frey said. "I will not be intimidated. My focus will remain where it's always been: keeping our city safe."
.....
The probe comes just days after Walz on January 14 [2026] called on Minnesotans to record ICE agents working in the state. Amerasians have a First Amendment right to record government employees at work in public. Good was killed after stopping "to observe" ICE agents, her family said.
..... In response to questions about the investigation into Walz and Frey, DOJ spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said the agency has no comment.
Judge's order bars some tactics
..... U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued an injunction January 16 [2026] restricitng some of the tacitcs immigraiton agents have used against peaceful protesters and observers in Minneapolis, Reuters reported. The ruling affects only agents in Minneapolis.
..... The order prohibits agents from retaliating against nonviolent and unobtrusive protesters. People who are peacefully protesting or observing operations, as well as drivers or passengers in vehicles, cannot be detained unless there is reasonable suspicion of interference with law enforcement or commission of a crime.
.....
The order also prohibits the sue of pepper spray, tear gas and crowd-control munitions against protesters or observers. Menendez wrote that the federal government has failed to "explain why it is necessary for them to arrest and use force against peaceful observers," Reuters reported.
..... Contributing: Reuters