MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz quashed six grand jury subpoenas served by the U.S. Department of Justice against Minnesota state and local government offices in a court order filed on June 17, 2026. Judge Schiltz ruled that the subpoenas were issued to coerce Minnesota officials into cooperating with immigration enforcement after they sued to block Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement operation led by the Trump administration.

The subpoenas were served on January 20, 2026, and sought records dating back to January 1, 2025. The subpoenas targeted the offices of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, and the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.

Judge Schiltz found that the Department of Justice failed to identify a plausible investigatory justification for the subpoenas. The judge wrote that the Justice Department "has struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible investigatory justification for the subpoenas." He added that using grand jury proceedings to pressure political opponents into taking official action is "a blatantly unlawful and unethical use of the grand-jury process."

"The only question, then, is whether the challenged subpoenas were issued for one of these forbidden purposes. The Court has no doubt that they were," Schiltz wrote.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey commented on the ruling. "One of the defining strengths of our democracy is the ability to challenge those in power without fear of retribution. Elected officials have both the right and the responsibility to speak honestly about how government decisions affect the people they serve," Frey said. He also stated, "Subpoenaing political opponents because they spoke on behalf of their constituents violates the core tenets of our democracy and human decency."