Walz Subpoena Blocked

Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz quashed six federal grand jury subpoenas the Trump Justice Department issued to Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Hennepin and Ramsey county officials. Schiltz ruled the subpoenas, issued in connection with an immigration-enforcement probe, were retaliatory and “blatantly unlawful,” saying they appeared designed to harass political opponents and coerce state and local governments into helping enforce federal civil immigration law. The ruling found the subpoenas were part of an unconstitutional effort to pressure Minnesota officials over sanctuary-style policies and resistance to federal immigration operations. The decision marks a sharp rebuke of the Justice Department’s use of grand jury powers and blocks the administration from forcing the officials to turn over records.