FBI Director Kash Patel is underscoring that under President Donald Trump, federal law enforcement will apply the law without fear or favor, including to elected officials now under federal scrutiny in Minnesota.
According to Fox News, Patels comments came after the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to five Minnesota government offices, including those of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The subpoenas, served by the FBI, seek records and communications as part of a probe into whether top state officials conspired to obstruct federal immigration enforcement operations ordered by the Trump administration.
Appearing on Hannity, Patel delivered a blunt warning that political office offers no shield from federal investigation. No one elected official, private citizen or otherwise gets to impede and obstruct a law enforcement investigation. No one, he said, emphasizing that the bureau is executing the presidents directive to enforce the law in full.
The federal probe follows a major escalation of immigration enforcement across the Twin Cities region, where the administration deployed roughly 3,000 federal immigration officers. That surge represents a striking contrast in a jurisdiction where the Minneapolis Police Department fields only about 600 officers, highlighting Washingtons determination to restore order where local leaders have often resisted federal priorities.
The investigation is unfolding against the backdrop of the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Her death triggered widespread protests across Minnesota and multiple confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement, further straining relations between federal authorities and progressive state and local officials.
Democratic leaders such as Walz and Frey have been vocal opponents of the enforcement operations that swept their state, aligning themselves with sanctuary-style policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Walz at one point escalated his rhetoric dramatically, declaring that the state was at war against the federal government, a posture that has raised concerns among conservatives about elected officials openly defying federal law.
On Hannity, Patel praised the Trump administration for backing law enforcement in Minnesota and nationwide, in stark contrast to the anti-police sentiment often encouraged by the left. He has supplied law enforcement the resources they need to protect our American communities, the FBI director told Fox News. He has also given us the mandate to enforce the law.
Patel outlined the straightforward mechanics of the criminal investigation now targeting Minnesotas political leadership. When you have subpoenas out, it is not rocket science, he explained. Investigations are done by acquiring records, investigations are then furthered by putting witnesses in the grand jury and making a presentment for a case with our partners at the Department of Justice.
Fox News learned late last week that federal authorities had formally opened an investigation into Walz and Frey over allegations they impeded law enforcement operations. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a prominent progressive and longtime critic of Trump, was also among those subpoenaed, signaling that the probe reaches the highest levels of the states Democratic establishment.
Walz, Frey and Ellison responded with a unified message of defiance, insisting they will not be cowed by the federal inquiry. Walz, who challenged Trump in the 2024 presidential race, dismissed the subpoenas as a partisan distraction and political retaliation, framing the investigation as an abuse of power rather than a legitimate effort to enforce federal law.
The State of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater, the governor wrote on X, casting himself as a victim of Washington overreach even as his administration faces questions about obstructing federal officers. Frey likewise pushed back, accusing the federal government of misusing its authority to silence dissenting local officials. We shouldnt live in a country where federal law enforcement is used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with, he wrote on X.
Ellison, whose office recently filed a lawsuit against the administration over its actions in Minnesota, labeled the investigation highly irregular and pointed to its timing as evidence of political motive. Trump is weaponizing the justice system against any leader who dares to stand up to him, he wrote on X, echoing a familiar Democratic talking point that critics say is designed to delegitimize any accountability for liberal officeholders.
Patel rejected those characterizations, insisting that the administrations efforts are rooted in public safety and the equal application of the law, not partisan score-settling. This FBI is committed to working with our interagency and our Department of Justice partners under President Trump's mandate to make sure Minnesota and every other city across this country is safe, Patel said, underscoring that in this administrations view, elected officials who obstruct federal law enforcement will be treated no differently than any other citizen.
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