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Judge rejects Trump administration's subpoenas for Minnesota officials
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Judge rejects Trump administration's subpoenas for Minnesota officials

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's subpoenas for Minnesota's governor and Minneapolis mayor.
  • The judge ruled the subpoenas were an attempt to coerce state officials on immigration policy.
  • The ruling is seen as a victory for the rule of law and democracy against political pressure.

A federal judge has quashed subpoenas issued by the Justice Department targeting the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey. U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz ruled that the subpoenas, which sought documents related to immigration policy in the state and city, were an improper attempt by the Trump administration's Justice Department to coerce state officials into taking specific actions on immigration enforcement.

The Department has struggled, without success, to identify a single plausible justification for the subpoenas.

— Judge Patrick J. SchiltzRuling on the federal judge's assessment of the Justice Department's subpoenas.

Judge Schiltz stated that the Justice Department "has struggled, without success, to identify a single plausible justification for the subpoenas." He further noted that the "campaign unfolded in the context of the Trump administration's well-documented history of using criminal investigations to retaliate against and pressure the president's political and personal adversaries."

This campaign unfolded in the context of the Trump administration's well-documented history of using criminal investigations to retaliate against and pressure the president's political and personal adversaries.

— Judge Patrick J. SchiltzDescribing the context and potential motives behind the Justice Department's subpoenas.

The subpoenas were issued in January, a period of heightened tension between the Trump administration and Minnesota authorities over the state's immigration policies and federal anti-immigration enforcement actions. The administration had accused Minnesota officials of tolerating a network of federal fund misuse involving the Somali community in the state.

a victory for the rule of law and American democracy.

— Tim WalzGovernor of Minnesota, reacting to the federal judge's ruling.

Governor Walz hailed the ruling as a "victory for the rule of law" and American democracy. Minneapolis Mayor Frey commented on social media that the Justice Department's investigation "was never about justice, law, or order, but about their absence." He added that "subpoenaing political opponents because they spoke on behalf of their constituents violates the fundamental principles of our democracy and human decency."

the investigation of the Department of Justice was never about justice, law, or order, but about their absence.

— Jacob FreyMayor of Minneapolis, commenting on the nature of the Justice Department's investigation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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