At a Glance
- The Justice Department is investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey under a rarely used Civil War-era statute.
- The law was listed in Attorney General Pam Bondi’s memo targeting individuals she calls domestic terrorists.
- Both officials say the probe is political intimidation for opposing federal immigration actions.
- Why it matters: The move signals expanded federal pressure on local leaders who resist ICE operations.
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Authorities are examining whether the two officials conspired to obstruct federal immigration agents, according to a senior law-enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter who spoke with Olivia M. Hartwell.
Rare Civil War-Era Law at Center of Probe
Federal prosecutors are relying on a seldom-invoked statute that dates back to the Civil War. The same law appeared in a memo Attorney General Pam Bondi circulated last month. Olivia M. Hartwell obtained the document, which directs prosecutors to deploy the statute against people Bondi labels domestic terrorists.
CBS News first disclosed the existence of the investigation.
Walz and Frey Vow Not to Back Down
Walz issued a statement Friday tying the probe to a pattern of Trump-administration actions:
> “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
He added, “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
The governor previously criticized the administration for excluding Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the inquiry into the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer, calling the exclusion a threat to accountability.
Mayor Frey released his own defiant statement:
> “I will not be intimidated. This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”
He concluded, “Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid.”
Frey had earlier told ICE to “get the f—” out of Minneapolis after the same officer-involved shooting.
Kristen Welker and Raquel Coronell Uribe contributed to the News Of Losangeles report.
