Deployment of 3,000 Federal Agents and ICE Shooting Incident
Governor and Mayor Publicly Condemn Massive Federal Presence
Justice Department Investigates Remarks by Walz and Frey
As intense protests against federal immigration crackdowns continue in Minnesota, it has emerged that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Governor Tim Walz and other state officials on suspicion of conspiring to obstruct federal enforcement operations.
According to U.S. broadcaster CBS on January 16 (local time), the investigation is closely linked to recent remarks made by Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey regarding the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents deployed in the Minneapolis area over the past several weeks. The Justice Department is reportedly focusing its investigation on a federal statute that defines it as a crime for two or more people to conspire to obstruct a federal official’s duties through “force, intimidation, or threat.”
Since late last year, more than 3,000 Department of Homeland Security enforcement agents have been stationed in Minnesota to crack down on undocumented immigrants and to investigate large-scale fraud involving federal grants. Tensions escalated further after a U.S. woman was fatally shot by an ICE agent on January 7, intensifying protests against the sweeping federal crackdowns and investigations.
Governor Walz and Mayor Frey have publicly condemned the massive deployment of federal agents since the incident, arguing that the aggressive enforcement actions have actually caused chaos and undermined public safety. These statements appear to have made them targets of the Justice Department’s investigation.
In response to news of the investigation, Governor Walz posted on X with a link to the news, writing, “Weaponizing the justice system to attack opponents is an authoritarian tactic.”
This is interpreted as criticism that President Trump, who ran as the running mate of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2024 election, is attempting to “eliminate political rivals.”
In response, President Trump previously warned that if Minnesota authorities did not cooperate in quelling the protests, he could invoke the Insurrection Act. Speaking to reporters at the White House that day, President Trump said, “At the moment, I don’t think there’s a reason to use it (the Insurrection Act),” but added, “If necessary, I will use it, and it is very powerful.”
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