A federal judge has stopped the U.S. government’s investigations into Minnesota Tim Walz and other Democratic officials. In a ruling released Monday local time, Judge Patrick Schiltz stated that the subpoenas were issued for unconstitutional reasons and were intended to intimidate.
Schiltz accused the Trump administration of pressuring Minnesota politicians to force them to support the federal government in enforcing immigration law. The subpoenas were legally invalid because they lacked a plausible basis.
The U.S. Department of Justice had sent subpoenas in January to Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Jacob Frey. The investigations were launched in response to protests against Trump’s tough immigration policies and controversial raids targeting migrants in Minnesota.
Walz, a prominent Trump opponent, described the large-scale immigration operation that took place in late 2025 and early 2026 as a “campaign of organized brutality.” He announced that Minnesota would investigate alleged abuses by federal agents itself.
Ellison commented on the judge’s decision, calling it a rare and clear step by the court. Walz called the ruling a victory for the rule of law and democracy.
The subpoenas were issued with the “predominant purpose” of harassing and retaliating against officials in Minnesota for not complying with federal directives. Schiltz found that the evidence of unconstitutional motives was “overwhelming.”
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
