U.S. federal government subpoenas Minnesota officials over immigration enforcement

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday served grand jury subpoenas to the offices of several top Minnesota officials amid disputes over immigration enforcement.

The subpoenas were delivered to the offices of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. Federal prosecutors also targeted local legal offices, including that of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, local media reported.

Reports said the probe is examining whether state and local officials coordinated efforts to obstruct federal agents, under a federal law governing interference with federal officers, during an immigration enforcement operation known as "Operation Metro Surge."

The operation has deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents to the region so far. Mayor Frey said the federal presence is roughly five times the size of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Walz described the investigation as "political theater." Her for her part said the subpoenas amounted to retaliation against political opponents.

Tensions reached a peak following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. State leaders, including Walz, have repeatedly expressed concern that the federal government is using the obstruction probe to distract from the investigation into the shooting.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintained that the crackdown in Minnesota is necessary to arrest dangerous offenders and combat fraud. Federal officials also claimed the operation had resulted in 3,000 arrests. However, the state's lawsuit argued the deployment violates the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which reserves policing powers for the states, according to a press statement from Ellison's office.