MINNEAPOLIS — The Justice Department is investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, alleging the Democratic leaders may have impeded federal immigration enforcement through their public statements, two people familiar with the matter said Friday.
The investigation, which Walz and Frey said was a bullying tactic by the Republican administration meant to threaten political opposition, focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, said the people, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending investigation by name.
CBS News first reported the investigation.
The investigation comes during a weeks-long immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests.
The operation has become more confrontational since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7, with agents pulling people from cars and homes and frequently being confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave. State and local officials repeatedly have told protesters to remain peaceful.
In response to reports of the investigation, Walz said in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
Sens. Kelly, from Arizona, and Slotkin, from Michigan, are under investigation by the Trump administration after appearing with fellow Democratic lawmakers in a video urging members of the military to resist “illegal orders,” as U.S. military code requires. The administration also launched a criminal investigation of Powell, a first for a sitting Federal Reserve chair, a nonpartisan position.
Walz’s office said it has not received any notice of an investigation. Frey in a statement described the investigation as an attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”
The U.S. attorney’s office in Minneapolis did not immediately comment.
In a post on social media following reports of the investigation, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.” She did not specifically mention the investigation.
State calls for peaceful protests
With more protests expected in the Twin Cities this weekend, state authorities urged demonstrators to avoid confrontation.
“While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
His comments came after President Trump backed off slightly from his threat a day earlier to invoke an 1807 law, the Insurrection Act, to send troops to suppress demonstrations.
“I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
A U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled Friday that federal officers working in the Minneapolis-area enforcement operation can’t detain or tear-gas peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when they’re observing agents. The case was filed before Good’s shooting on behalf of six Minnesota activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.
Government attorneys argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves. But the ACLU said government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.
Richer, Tucker and Brook write for the Associated Press. Richer and Tucker reported from Washington, Brook from Minneapolis. AP writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Ed White and Corey Williams in Detroit, Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City, Jesse Bedayn in Denver, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Hallie Golden in Seattle and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.
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