A federal judge in Minnesota on Monday quashed six federal grand jury subpoenas targeting Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials demanding sweeping records from the state government.
U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, determined that the Justice Department misused its authority to punish officials who resisted immigration enforcement operations in the state.
The conflict began in December when the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge, a massive immigration enforcement initiative in major cities in Minnesota. CBS News reported that the operation became the largest civil immigration enforcement effort in Department of Homeland Security history, with over 3,000 federal agents working in the state.
BREAKING: Judge Patrick Schiltz has quashed several DOJ grand jury subpoenas aimed Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey, saying they were part of a retaliatory effort over their refusal to aid Trump admin immigration enforcement efforts. https://t.co/RlGJNCrkuA pic.twitter.com/qCOSeujDjR
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) June 22, 2026
Aggressive immigration enforcement actions ensued, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents carrying out a flurry of arrests of illegal immigrants. The initiative resulted in a major backlash coming from left-leaning community members who accused the agencies of abusing their authority and targeting U.S. citizens. Two people were killed in fatal shootings while protesting ICE and Border Patrol operations.
Frey, Walz, and several other Democrats spoke out against Operation Metro Surge. The White House countered the criticism and claimed Frey encouraged violence against law enforcement officers.
Back in January, federal prosecutors served six broad grand jury subpoenas demanding records from the governor’s office, the mayors’ offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the state attorney general’s office, and the boards of commissioners in Hennepin and Ramsey counties.
Judge Schiltz—GW Bush appointee & Scalia clerk—quashes the 6 grand jury subpoenas to top Minnesota and Twin City officials, including offices of @GovTimWalz , @MayorFrey @MayorKaohlyHer & @AGEllison . https://t.co/WlIo895jch
— Roger Parloff (@rparloff) June 22, 2026
The government demanded every document since January 1, 2025, related to federal immigration enforcement. This would have included all policies, communications, training materials, guidance on cooperation or lack of cooperation with immigration officers, responses to detainer requests, and instructions about interacting with or identifying federal immigration agents. The demand would have covered emails, text messages, memos, and more.
Judge Schiltz ruled that the subpoenas violated the Constitution. He noted grand juries have broad authority to investigate crimes, but courts can stop subpoenas when their primary purpose is improper. He argued that the subpoenas were part of an unconstitutional effort to compel Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration laws and to harass and retaliate against them for refusing to do so.
The judge further explained that the Tenth Amendment prohibits the federal government from compelling state officers to assist with federal initiatives or punishing them when they refuse. He determined the main purpose for the subpoenas had nothing to do with an actual criminal probe, but to coerce these officials into altering their policies regarding whether they cooperate with federal immigration agencies.
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