Name: DOJ investigating Minnesota Governor Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Frey
Uploaded: 2026-01-19T14:43:22.858Z
Duration: 3 min 46 s
Description: The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, U.S. officials tell CBS News. Camilo Montoya-Galvez explains why.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, U.S. officials tell CBS News. Camilo Montoya-Galvez explains why.

Minneapolis

The U.S. Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry, focusing on allegations that they conspired to impede federal immigration officers from ICE and CBP. The investigation is based on claims that their public statements may constitute criminal interference or threats against federal law enforcement.

Both Walz and Fry have publicly condemned the federal deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis, accusing them of undermining public safety. The federal government has deployed 3,000 agents to the city, with additional deployments under consideration, making it the largest Department of Homeland Security operation in its history. Active-duty soldiers in Alaska are also on standby for potential deployment to Minneapolis.

DOJ investigating Minnesota Governor Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Frey

Tensions remain high in Minneapolis with the Justice Department now investigating city and state officials as anti-ice protests continue there. In a statement, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said, quote, the only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her, end quote. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was pressed about that agent's status on Face the Nation yesterday. Let me talk to you about the officer, Jonathan Ross. He was struck. He was hospitalized. Don't say his name. I mean, for heaven's sakes, we we don't we shouldn't have people continue to dox law enforcement when they have an increase in death threats against them. I know, but that doesn't mean it should continue to be said. CBS reported that he did have internal bleeding in the torso, but he was released that same day. So is he back at work? Did you give him the required three days of suspension? We followed the exact same protocols that we always have for years as to investigations into these situations. Three days. I'm not going to talk about his medical records. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilla Montoya-Galvez joins us now to explain how this is all playing out. Camilla, good morning. Good morning. We saw the DHS secretary there responding to some of Margaret Brennan's questions. But tell us about this DOJ probe into the governor and the mayor as it relates to these anti-ISIS demonstrations. Well, our U.S. officials tell CBS News that the Justice Department, the Trump administration, has in fact started a criminal probe into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry over an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration officers, that being officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE and Customs and Border Protection, CBP. One of the U.S. officials tells us that that federal inquiry by the Justice Department is focused on a provision of U.S. law that makes it a crime for two or more people, Errol, to conspire to prevent federal officers from carrying out their duties through force, intimidation or threats. That is the statute in the criminal code. The central allegation here appears to be, Errol, that public statements by Walz and Fry, two Democrats, essentially amount to criminal interference or threats against federal law enforcement. That is a central allegation. Walz and Fry, of course, have strongly denounced and condemned that massive federal deployment of ICE and Border Patrol agents to the Twin Cities region, accusing federal agents of creating chaos and undermining public safety. Let's take a listen to how Fry responded to news of the investigation. This whole dynamic is deeply concerning because supposedly they would be coming for me and targeting me for something that is core and critical to my job as mayor, and that is speaking for my residents and my constituents. This kind of thing happens in other countries. This cannot happen in America. We have to underscore, Errol, that Fry and Walz have said repeatedly that protesters in Minneapolis should remain peaceful. And what other steps is the administration taking in Minneapolis? Because it's not just this. Well, the administration has already deployed 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis. That is nearly five times the number of city police officers in that city in Minnesota. We are told also by U.S. officials that Customs and Border Protection and ICE is considering deploying additional federal agents to that region. That is already the largest DHS operation in the department's history. We are also told by a U.S. official, Errol, that 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska are on standby to potentially be deployed to Minneapolis. And we will keep watching all of that very closely. Camilla, thank you very much for those updates.

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