Federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota has triggered not only daily clashes on the streets but also a growing legal confrontation over the scope and response to the crackdown.
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s office and five other state officials, part of an inquiry into whether their actions obstructed federal immigration operations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a person familiar with the matter said.
The subpoenas also targeted Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and officials from Ramsey and Hennepin counties. The individual, who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, confirmed the subpoenas primarily seek official records.
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These developments followed a government filing urging a judge to reject efforts to halt the aggressive immigration enforcement surge that has unsettled the Twin Cities for weeks.
The Justice Department labeled the state’s lawsuit, filed shortly after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer, as “legally frivolous.” Ellison has argued that federal agents are infringing on constitutional rights, including free speech.
Vice President JD Vance is slated to visit Minneapolis on Thursday for a roundtable with local officials and community members, according to sources familiar with his schedule. The trip had not been officially announced.
Officials say the subpoenas are linked to allegations that Minnesota leaders obstructed federal enforcement through public statements, with investigators examining potential violations of a conspiracy statute. In the subpoena released by Frey’s office, the list of requested documents includes “any records tending to show a refusal to come to the aid of immigration officials.”
Frey criticized the federal action, saying: “We shouldn’t have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with.”
The governor’s office directed reporters to an earlier statement from Walz, in which he accused the Trump administration of seeking distractions rather than justice.
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Greg Bovino, who led Trump administration’s big-city immigration operations, said more than 10,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Minnesota over the past year, including 3,000 “of some of the most dangerous offenders” during the last six weeks of Operation Metro Surge.
Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, noting advocates cannot independently verify the government’s arrest data or descriptions of those in custody.
The surge intensified after Renee Good, 37, was shot on January 7 while moving her vehicle, which blocked a Minneapolis street where ICE officers were operating. Trump administration officials claim officer Jonathan Ross acted in self-defense, though video footage shows Good’s Honda Pilot slowly turning away.
Since the shooting, public protests have repeatedly confronted federal officers, often with whistles and shouted insults, prompting ICE and Border Patrol to respond with tear gas and chemical irritants. Bystanders have documented officers using battering rams, smashing car windows, and forcibly removing individuals from vehicles. Bovino defended the officers, asserting their actions are “legal, ethical and moral.”
The unrest has extended to places of worship. On Sunday, about three dozen protesters entered Cities Church in St. Paul, disrupting service and demanding the resignation of a pastor who works with ICE. The church condemned the incident, stating: “Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus — or any other act of worship — is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the demonstrators “agitators” on X and warned, “arrests coming.”
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Activist and attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, according to AP’s report, also urged another pastor affiliated with ICE to step down, citing a “fundamental moral conflict” in his dual roles.
