Federal judge blocks Trump admin subpoenas to Minnesota officials

U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, a Bush‑appointed federal judge, ruled that the Justice Department’s grand‑jury subpoenas issued in January to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison and other state and local officials were politically motivated and lacked a legitimate investigative basis. Schiltz wrote that “the Department has struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible investigatory justification for the subpoenas,” and concluded that the subpoenas were part of “a broader campaign to coerce state and local officials… to assist the Trump administration in its enforcement of immigration laws.”

The subpoenas sought records relating to federal immigration‑enforcement activities in Minnesota and were issued amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of protester Renée Good by an immigration officer. The judge described the action as “unlawful political harassment” and emphasized constitutional limits on compelling states to enforce federal law. Governor Walz, Mayor Frey and Attorney General Ellison praised the decision as a victory for the rule of law and state sovereignty.