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The Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, according to a senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter. This is a major escalation in the conflict between the federal government and local authorities over the state’s ongoing heavy-handed immigration crackdown.
The investigation reportedly focuses on allegations that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey conspired to obstruct the work of thousands of federal agents sent to the city since last month. Last week, one of these officers killed a 37-year-old woman, Renée Good.
“A dangerous and authoritarian tactic”
It is still unclear what steps investigators took. According to the senior law enforcement official who spoke to New York Timessubpoenas have not yet been issued, but they could be issued in the coming days. MM. Both Walz and Frey responded Friday evening with combative statements.
“Instrumenting the justice system and threatening political adversaries is a dangerous and authoritarian tactic,” Governor Walz said in a statement released by his office, which said it had not yet received any notification of an investigation. “The only person not under investigation for Renee Good’s murder is the federal agent who shot her. »
Mayor Jacob Frey called the investigation a “clear attempt at intimidation” against him, but he vowed not to let it shake him.
“America depends on leaders for whom integrity and the rule of law are guiding principles for governing,” he said. “Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We remain steadfast. »
PHOTO TIM EVANS, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
The shooting death of Renée Good, an unarmed mother of three, sparked sustained protests against officers in Minneapolis. MM. Frey and Walz sharply criticized the officers’ behavior.
A judge sets limits
Justice Department leaders have vowed to arrest anyone who obstructs federal agents, and the new investigation aims to determine whether top state Democrats conspired to obstruct law enforcement.
Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, in a social media post Wednesday accused Walz and Frey of “encouraging violence against law enforcement” and described their actions as “terrorism.”
Although the governor and mayor have criticized immigration officials and at times urged residents to document their actions, there is no clear evidence that either explicitly encouraged the violence. Both urged protesters to remain peaceful.
On Friday, a federal judge in Minneapolis issued an order imposing several restrictions on how federal agents can treat people protesting the crackdown.
This article was published in the New York Times.
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