The Justice Department is examining whether Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have exceeded the line that might adversely affect the federal government’s immigration enforcement, two people familiar with the matter said to The Associated Press. They said it might include the potential breach of a federal conspiracy law, although these individuals asked to be anonymous because the matter has not been made public yet.
This probe comes as Minneapolis is experiencing heightened tension as a result of an extensive federal immigration campaign bringing many officers into the region. The DHS has reported this operation around Minneapolis-St. Paul as its largest enforcement action, as it has already led over 2,500 arrests. This is reported by AP.
This increase in federal presence comes as there are continuous protests and even a few altercations. The AP reported that “a U.S. citizen was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week, and a Venezuelan man was shot by a federal agent during an enforcement encounter on Wednesday evening.” There have been reports of violent reactions from those protesting, as well as aggressive tactics used by federal forces.
Walz and Frey criticized the magnitude and manner of the federal response while urging peaceful protests.
In a post on X, Walz called it a political retaliation, writing: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Frey issued a similar response in a separate X post, calling the investigation “an obvious attempt to intimidate” him for opposing what he described as “chaos and danger” brought to Minneapolis. “I will not be intimidated,” Frey wrote, adding that his focus remains “keeping our city safe.”
At the same time, a federal judge on late Friday, Jan. 16, significantly restricted how Homeland Security and ICE agents in Minneapolis can police protests related to “Operation Metro Surge”. The preliminary injunction prevents law enforcers from arresting peaceful protesters and observers without probable cause, as well as prevents using pepper spray and other techniques related to crowd control on people exercising their lawful rights of protesting.
Judge Katherine Menendez again clarified the protection accorded by the First Amendment to observers and peaceful protestors. It is made clear in the order that there shall be no reprisal on the basis of peaceful protesting or monitoring. Both vehicle stops and following federal agents at a safe distance have been covered in the order.
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