Federal judge quashes DOJ subpoenas to Tim Walz, Minneapolis mayor

Federal Judge Patrick Schiltz threw out six grand jury subpoenas aimed at Minnesota’s top state and local Democrats, ruling that the Justice Department had gone too far in trying to force officials to turn over internal records tied to federal immigration enforcement. The order lands as a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration’s use of investigative power against Democratic-led jurisdictions and draws a hard line around what Washington can demand from state and city governments.

Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee and former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, dated the 29-page order June 17 and made it public June 22. He wrote that the subpoenas were baseless, unethical and possibly illegal, and said the connection to any criminal violation was “extremely weak to nonexistent.” He concluded that the real purpose was to harass, coerce and retaliate.

The subpoenas had been served in January and targeted the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Hennepin and Ramsey County boards and commissioners. Reports say the Justice Department sought broad categories of material, including communications, policies, training materials and internal guidance about how those offices responded to federal immigration authorities. Schiltz called the requests extraordinarily broad and rejected them as an improper use of grand jury process.

At the center of the ruling was a constitutional fight over federalism. Schiltz said the Justice Department was misusing subpoenas to pressure Minnesota officials into helping enforce federal immigration law, and he emphasized that the federal government cannot force states to enforce federal laws. The court linked the subpoenas to Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration crackdown that sent thousands of agents into the Twin Cities and deepened the clash between the Trump administration and local Democratic leaders.

The political and public-safety backdrop was volatile. Reports say protests and confrontations around the surge led to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. NBC News reported that the subpoenas followed Good’s killing, a case that intensified scrutiny of the federal response and helped prompt legal action by state and city officials.

Walz called the ruling “a victory for the rule of law and our democracy.” The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment in some reports, though a spokesperson later said the department takes obstruction of federal law enforcement “extremely seriously” and will continue to act within the law. For the moment, Schiltz’s order stands as a clear warning that even in a high-stakes immigration crackdown, federal power has limits.