Yves here. The march towards a tyranny in the US continues apace. Below we feature a clip in which police chief in Minneapolis take the unusual but entirely warranted position of criticizing Federal goons, hiding behind masks as ICE officers, for repeated civil rights violations. The segment below omits an opening section in which the Brooklyn Park chief of police takes pains to say that he and his officers believe in enforcing immigration laws and until recently have had a cooperative relationship with Federal immigration enforcement personnel.<\/p>\n
\nThis is 2m 19s of his 3m 53s video which I think shows the highlights.<\/p>\n
ICE has stopped, assaulted, and threatened off duty Minneapolis officers.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s Gestapo attacks the Real Police charged with protecting the citizens. pic.twitter.com\/1H9EAfZ7oC<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Mike Lamb (@ML73050761) January 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It is important to know what a bad look this is. Conservatives generally support police. They, particularly libertarians, also are normally behind the rule of low since they want it enforced. Seeing a wall of policemen standing behind a senior officer to attest to abuses of off-duty police by ICE thugs is an important message that will register with those not in the pro-Trump white supremacist camp that ICE really is operating like jackboots.<\/p>\n
And it is not as if this law-breaking is limited to Minnesota:<\/p>\n
\nICE physically attacks lawyer\u2014stand between her and clients they\u2019re trying to detain.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t push me!\u201d lawyer yells. \u201cWhy you trying to pick them up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s none of your business,\u201d agent scolds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my business\u2014I\u2019m their attorney,\u201d she replies. \u201cIt\u2019s EXACTLY my business!\u201d\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/KZKFRarPpv<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 LongTime\ud83e\udd13FirstTime\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udcbb (@LongTimeHistory) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Below we see the DOJ using the same intimidation tactic against Minnesota officials it is pursuing with Fed governor Lisa Cook and Fed Chair Jerome Powell, that of issuing criminal subpoenas against them to try to get them to resign or otherwise back down. These filings are clearly retaliatory, since they come shortly after Minnesota\u2019s Attorney General Keith Ellison on behalf of the state and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul sued to obtain a temporary injunction against ICE operations in the state. The Federal judge hearing the matter was ready to act quickly but wanted the Federal government to respond promptly. I have not read her comments in full but the press account make it sound as if she was including the Martin Luther King day holiday in her timetable.<\/p>\n
The response, at least if remarks by Federal officials are any guide, sound like a handwave, that the filing is \u201clegally frivolous<\/a>\u201c. If that is all they intend to argue, they got nuthin.<\/p>\n
And if they really believe that, why deploy the club of criminal subpoenas issued against officials? Why not let the litigation play out?<\/p>\n
On top of that, if I read the story below correctly, the criminal subpoena seeks official records of Ellison\u2019s office related to the ICE operation. That is attorney-client privileged given that the office is now acting on behalf of the state against ICE. The high-handedness really is breathtaking.<\/p>\n
By Jessica Corbett, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
The US Department of Justice<\/a> on Tuesday subpoenaed top Minnesota officials, including Democratic Gov. Tim Walz<\/a>, as part of the DOJ\u2019s investigation into alleged conspiracy to impede the thousands of federal immigration<\/a> agents sent to the Twin Cities by President Donald Trump\u2014a probe Walz has condemned<\/a> as part of a broader trend of the administration \u201cweaponizing the justice system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walz\u2014who ran for vice president in 2024\u2014was similarly critical of the grand jury subpoenas, which were also served to state Attorney General Keith Ellison<\/a>, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. President, Minnesota invites you to see our values in action,\u201d Walz began a lengthy statement<\/a> shared on social media<\/a>. \u201cBut let me be absolutely clear: The state of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater. This Department of Justice<\/a> investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, does not seek justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a partisan distraction,\u201d Walz declared, detailing how the flood of immigration agents is negatively impacting communities and arguing that the Trump administration<\/a> should focus on \u201crestoring trust, accountability, and real law and order, not political retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\npic.twitter.com\/rGLZVW34kc<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
After US Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s Jonathan Ross fatally shot<\/a> Good earlier this month, Trump and others in his administration called<\/a> the deceased 37-year-old mother of three a \u201cdomestic terrorist\u201d and claimed the ICE officer was acting in self-defense, a narrative betrayed by numerous videos, eyewitness accounts, and detailed analyses of the shooting.<\/p>\n
As protesters continued to fill Minnesota\u2019s streets, Ellison and the Twin Cities sued<\/a> the US Department of Homeland Security\u2014which includes Customs and Border Protection (CBP<\/a>) and ICE\u2014in hopes of ending what the attorney general called a \u201cfederal invasion.\u201d The ACLU quickly followed<\/a> with a class action lawsuit aimed at ending DHS agents\u2019 unlawful stops and arrests.<\/p>\n
In a Tuesday statement about the subpoena, Ellison noted<\/a> the suit he recently filed on behalf of the state:<\/p>\n
\nLess than two weeks ago, federal agents shot and killed a Minnesotan in broad daylight. Now, instead of seriously investigating the killing of Renee Good, Trump is weaponizing the justice system against any leader who dares stand up to him.<\/p>\n
Today, my office has received a criminal grand jury subpoena from the Department of Justice. It is a subpoena for records and documents related to my office\u2019s work with respect to federal immigration enforcement, not for me personally. Everything about this is highly irregular, especially the fact that this comes shortly after my office sued the Trump administration to challenge their illegal actions within Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be clear about why this is happening: Donald Trump<\/a> is coming after the people of Minnesota, and I\u2019m standing in his way. I will not be intimidated, and I will not stop working to protect Minnesotans from Trump\u2019s campaign of retaliation and revenge.\u201c<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Frey\u2014who told<\/a> ICE to \u201cget the fuck out of Minneapolis\u201d after Ross killed Good\u2014said<\/a> Tuesday that \u201cwhen the federal government weaponizes its power to try to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with,\u201d he continued. \u201cIn Minneapolis, we won\u2019t be afraid. We know the difference between right and wrong, and, as mayor, I\u2019ll continue doing the job I was elected to do: keeping our community safe and standing up for our values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Christina Harvey, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, also asserted that the DOJ\u2019s probe \u201cisn\u2019t a legitimate search for wrongdoing. It\u2019s an attempt to intimidate elected officials who are demanding justice for the killing of Renee Good and trying to protect their communities from Trump\u2019s chaotic immigration crackdown.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump is once again weaponizing the DOJ against his political opponents while shielding his own DHS secretary and ICE agents from accountability as they violate due process, use lethal violence against American citizens, and show a clear disregard for human life,\u201d she continued. \u201cThis administration mistakes bullying for strength and believes it is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
If US Attorney General Pam Bondi<\/a> \u201creally cared about justice, she\u2019d be investigating the killing of Renee Good,\u201d Harvey added, \u201cnot harassing public servants for doing their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
News of the subpoenas came as Greg Bovino, commander at large for CBP, and Marcos Charles, executive associate director of ICE, defended federal agents\u2019 operations during a Tuesday afternoon press conference, with the former claiming that \u201cwhat we do is legal, ethical, and moral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharing a video of Bovino\u2019s remarks on social media, journalist Aaron Rupar simply said<\/a>, \u201cBovino lies shamelessly.\u201d<\/p>\n
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