OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
10:05 AM – Saturday, January 17, 2026
The Department of Justice is investigating Democrat leaders Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for obstructing federal law enforcement, sources familiar with the case said.
Several outlets confirmed the probe on Saturday, informed by multiple sources.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the mayor and governor pushed inflammatory anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rhetoric that may implicate them in a federal crime following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis who had refused orders from ICE agents and threatened one with her car.
“When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he’s encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,” Blanche said.
Pam Bondi also noted on X on Friday, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued subpoenas to Walz (D-Minn.) and Frey (D-Minn.) on Friday, according to The Washington Post, which spoke to a source on the condition of anonymity.
Reacting when news of the investigation broke, Walz wrote, “Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.”
“This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our city. I will not be intimidated,” Frey weighed in.
On January 7th, Renee Good, after dropping her child off at school, allegedly followed ICE agents and blocked a road with her car as her partner, Rebecca Good, filmed and taunted agents. Both were reportedly involved in a local ‘ICE Watch” group meant to impede lawful immigration enforcement. When officers approached and ordered her out of the car, Good’s partner yelled, “Drive, baby, drive!” Good accelerated, with the phone footage from one officer revealing he was in front of the vehicle. The officer fired as the car could be heard colliding with him, killing the 37-year-old.
After the tragic killing, Frey had choice words for the federal agents in his city.
“To ICE: Get the f*** out of Minneapolis,” he said at a press conference, insisting that the argument that the officer had been defending his life was “bulls**t.”
Frey continued, “Somebody is dead, and that’s on you. And it’s also on you to leave. It’s on you to make sure that further damage, further loss of life and injury is not done.”
Hours later, Walz held a press conference, where he revealed that he had issued a “warning order” for the Minnesota National Guard, as he considered deploying them, claiming that the state was “at war with our federal government.”
Both men have called for peaceful protests against the Trump administration’s strong enforcement of immigration laws, warning Minnesotans not to “take the bait,” and arguing that President Donald Trump wants “violence in the streets.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Walz encouraged citizens to instead document instances of brutality or criminal activity from federal agents.
“Help us establish a record of exactly what’s happening in our communities. You have an absolute right to peacefully film ICE agents as they conduct their activities. So, carry your phone with you at all times. And if you see ICE in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record,” the governor instructed. “Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans – not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution.”
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