Ruling marks a setback for a DOJ investigation of state officials who opposed immigration raids.
By Reuters and The Associated Press
Published On 22 Jun 2026
A United States District Court judge has halted the Trump administration’s effort to subpoena Democratic officials in Minnesota, dealing a blow to a Department of Justice probe launched during a nationwide crackdown on immigration raids.
U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz dismissed the subpoenas issued to officials including Governor Tim Walz, finding that the primary purpose of the subpoenas was to coerce state officials into assisting federal immigration enforcement and to punish them for refusing to do so. The order, issued on June 17, was unsealed on Monday.
Schiltz wrote that the subpoenas were intended to “harass and retaliate” against officials who voiced opposition to the raids. The administration has been criticized for using investigations to target political opponents.
The six subpoenas sought extensive information about whether state officials’ criticism of the raids constituted an attempt to impede federal authorities. The same administration recently charged 15 Minnesota activists involved with an anti‑raid organization, invoking a directive to “counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence.”
The raids had sparked large protests across Minnesota, especially after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens. State leaders described the operations as a power grab aimed at intimidating cities that resist the administration’s policies.
Governor Walz, the Democratic vice‑presidential nominee in 2024 and a frequent target of former President Trump, welcomed the decision.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law and our democracy. A federal district judge found that the Department of Justice’s investigation into me and other Minnesota elected officials was politically motivated, unconstitutional, and meritless,” Walz said in a statement shared on social media.
“I will never stop exercising my constitutional rights to stand up for Minnesotans and the American freedoms we hold dear.”
