The Situation Room - January 21st

Good morning everyone,

I’m Atlas, and welcome to The Situation Room! We cover the most high impact geopolitical developments every Wednesday!

Today’s topics:

• Minnesota Officials Subpoenaed Following Accusations Of Obstructing ICE

• Trump Exerts Higher Pressure For Control Of Greenland, Markets Decline On Possibility Of Trade War

• “Super Embassy” For China Gets Approval By U.K. Government

Minnesota Officials Subpoenaed Following Accusations Of Obstructing ICE

_{By: Atlas}

Federal prosecutors served grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to six Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed federal immigration enforcement during a sweeping crackdown in the Twin Cities area.

The subpoenas, which seek records and communications, were also served on the office of St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Scope of the Investigation

The federal inquiry centers on whether Minnesota officials impeded law enforcement through public statements they made criticizing the Trump administration's immigration operation, known as Operation Metro Surge. The investigation is focused on potential violation of 18 U.S.C. § 372, a conspiracy statute that makes it a crime for two or more people to prevent federal officers from carrying out their duties "by force, intimidation, or threat," CBS News reported.

A subpoena issued to Frey and shared with media outlets orders his office to produce documents to a grand jury by February 3. The requested materials include records related to "cooperation or lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities" and "any records tending to show a refusal to come to the aid of immigration officials," according to the Washington Post.

The operation has deployed approximately 3,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Greg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol, who commands the administration's metropolitan immigration crackdown, said Tuesday that more than 10,000 people in the country illegally have been arrested in Minnesota over the past year, including 3,000 "of some of the most dangerous offenders" in the last six weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Officials Respond to Subpoenas

Walz, Frey, and other targeted officials called the investigation an attempt to suppress political opposition. All are Democrats.

"This Justice Department investigation, sparked by calls for accountability in the face of violence, chaos, and the killing of Renee Good, does not seek justice. It is a partisan distraction," Walz wrote in a statement posted to social media. "Minnesotans are more concerned with safety and peace rather than with baseless legal tactics aimed at intimidating public servants standing shoulder to shoulder with their community."

Frey issued his own statement characterizing the probe as an effort to silence local criticism of federal policy. "When the federal government weaponizes its power to try to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned," he said. "We shouldn't 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."

Her, a Hmong immigrant, acknowledged receiving a subpoena and said she was "unfazed by these tactics," according to the AP.

Walz has openly encouraged residents to record video of encounters between ICE agents and members of the public to create a database for potential "future prosecution" of wrongdoing by federal officers, according to Reuters. Trump administration officials have accused him and Frey of deliberately stoking interference with ICE operations, which the governor denies.

Context: Renee Good Shooting and Protests

The investigation comes against the backdrop of sustained protests following the January 7 shooting death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Good was moving her vehicle, which had been blocking a Minneapolis street where officers were operating. Trump administration officials have said Ross acted in self-defense, though videos of the encounter show her Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him, the AP reported.

The shooting sparked widespread demonstrations across the Twin Cities. Federal agents have used tear gas and chemical irritants against protesters. Bystanders have recorded officers using battering rams to enter homes and smashing vehicle windows to remove occupants.

Local police have reported that off-duty law enforcement officers, including U.S. citizens of color, have been stopped and racially profiled by federal agents. Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said he received complaints from residents and his own officers who are American citizens, according to the AP.

On Friday, a federal judge barred immigration agents from arresting, detaining, or using pepper spray and other crowd-control weapons against peaceful protesters or individuals observing ICE activities.

Legal Questions and Staff Shortages

Legal experts have questioned whether the investigation could result in charges. Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said that if the basis for investigating Minnesota officials is their criticism of federal immigration enforcement, "it is blatantly unconstitutional," according to Straight Arrow News.

"The right to condemn government action without fear of government punishment is the foundation of the First Amendment," Terr said. "If criticism of government policy can be rebranded as a crime, then constitutional protections become meaningless."

It would be highly unusual for federal prosecutors to bring a criminal conspiracy case based on public statements from elected officials about government policies. Reuters reported that grand juries have twice rejected Justice Department attempts to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge dismissed a criminal case against her.

The Minnesota U.S. attorney's office is facing severe staffing shortages as it handles the investigation. About 10 federal prosecutors quit following the Renee Good shooting amid disagreements over the handling of the case, leaving the office at roughly half its normal staffing level of approximately 70 lawyers, the Washington Post reported.

The Justice Department is sending prosecutors from other Midwestern states, including South Dakota, North Dakota, Eastern Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, to assist with the caseload. The temporary assignments could last several weeks each, according to people familiar with the personnel moves who spoke to the Post.

Ilan Wurman, who teaches constitutional law at the University of Minnesota Law School, told the AP he doubts the state's legal arguments challenging the federal operation will succeed. "There's no question that federal law is supreme over state law, that immigration enforcement is within the power of the federal government," he said.

The Justice Department called a separate lawsuit filed by Minnesota officials seeking to halt the enforcement surge "legally frivolous." In a court filing Monday, government attorneys wrote: "Put simply, Minnesota wants a veto over federal law enforcement."

Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on social media Friday: "A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law."

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