Minneapolis, Minnesota – A federal judge blocked six grand jury subpoenas issued by the Trump administration to Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, ruling that the Justice Department failed to show a legitimate criminal investigative purpose.
U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz quashed the subpoenas Monday in a dispute tied to Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement effort in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The subpoenas sought records from state and local offices after Minnesota officials challenged the operation in court.
Schiltz wrote that the Justice Department “struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible investigatory justification” for the subpoenas. He also found the subpoenas appeared designed to pressure officials into helping with civil immigration enforcement and retaliating against constitutionally protected conduct.
Walz called the ruling “a victory for the rule of law.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the subpoenas were never about justice, while Attorney General Keith Ellison accused the administration of weaponizing the criminal justice system.
The ruling does not end the broader immigration enforcement dispute, but it stops the subpoenas from moving forward.
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