Federal investigators have opened a criminal probe into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after ICE protests turned violent, with officials saying their actions may have gotten in the way of law enforcement.
A US official told CBS News that the investigation stems from Walz and Frey’s strong words against federal agents.
Trump added his own warning on Truth Social: “In Minnesota, the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals. The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY!”
Walz, who stepped down from his re-election campaign after a local fraud scandal, said: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
He added about Renee Good’s shooting: “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Protests erupted after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Officials say she blocked traffic and resisted arrest. McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, said: “The officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life.”
She also said Walz and Frey “are actively encouraging an organized resistance to ICE and federal law enforcement officers. Their hateful rhetoric and resistance against men and women who are simply trying to do their jobs must end.”
Frey pushed back, saying that 3,000 ICE agents in Minneapolis “created chaos” and added pressure on local police. “We have ICE agents who, along with border patrol, are creating chaos,” he said. “This is not creating safety. It is certainly not creating safety when a huge percentage of the shootings that have taken place this year in the city are by ICE. It is disgusting and intolerable.”
Protesters threw snowballs, fireworks, and other objects at officers. Police used tear gas and flash bangs to control the crowd. Chief Brian O’Hara said: “We ask anyone at the scene to leave immediately. This is already a tense scenario and we do not need it to escalate any further.”
ICE says it has arrested 60 protesters over five days for interfering with federal work. McLaughlin noted assaults on federal agents have risen 1,300% this year.
The agency is also under review by DHS inspectors. They want to know if fast-tracked recruitment and reduced training of 10,000 new agents created risks. One source told the Daily Mail: “They’re offering $50,000 incentives for people to sign up, dropping their vetting and fitness standards, and then not training them well. This would appear to be a recipe for disaster.”
Walz told citizens: “I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets. But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
