Minnesota’s top Democrat leaders are under federal scrutiny after the Justice Department opened an investigation into Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over allegations they conspired to obstruct federal immigration agents.
The move represents a dramatic escalation in President Donald Trump’s confrontation with blue-state officials, CBS News reported.
One source described the probe as stemming from public statements Walz and Frey have made about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
Representatives for Walz and Frey were contacted for comment.
Nearly 3,000 federal immigration agents have been dispatched to Minneapolis, with federal officials saying the objective is to arrest people suspected of being in the U.S. illegally and probe allegations of fraud in Minnesota.
The Department of Homeland Security has described the deployment as the largest operation in its history.
The large-scale presence of federal agents has triggered backlash in the Twin Cities, with protests and clashes escalating after the killing of Minnesota resident Renee Good by an ICE officer last week.
Walz and Frey, both Democrats, have denounced the federal deployment, accusing agents of creating chaos and undermining public safety through aggressive tactics.
Earlier this week, Frey said the federal operation had created a situation that was “not sustainable.”
He said residents are asking the limited number of local police officers to confront ICE agents in the streets.
Frey said the country cannot be in a place where two governmental entities are literally fighting one another.
Walz and Frey have urged protesters to remain peaceful.
Walz posted on X on Thursday urging Minnesotans not to “fan the flames of chaos.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to allude to the matter in a post on X earlier this week, writing, “Walz and Frey- I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary.”
Blanche added, “This is not a threat. It’s a promise.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that Frey and Walz need to get their city under control.
Noem accused the two Democrats of encouraging assaults on federal law enforcement — felonies.
Noem has argued their rhetoric helped perpetuate violence directed at federal officers by undermining trust in law enforcement and emboldening protesters.
The inquiry is focused on 18 U.S.C. § 372, a federal statute that makes it a crime for two or more people to conspire to prevent federal officers from carrying out their official duties through force, intimidation, or threats.
The statute has historically been used in cases involving coordinated efforts to obstruct federal officials through violence or threats.
Public criticism of federal policy is generally treated as protected speech unless it crosses into direct coordination or incitement to obstruct law enforcement.
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