HOUSTON, United States

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday served grand jury subpoenas to top Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, according to media reports.

The move by the DOJ comes as part of a federal investigation into allegations that government officials in the Midwest US state conspired to coerce or obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents during recent immigration stings in the Twin Cities --Minneapolis and St. Paul.

During one of the raids, Renee Good, 37, an American, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, which led to a firestorm of protests about the federal government's deployment of nearly 3,000 ICE and CBP agents to Minnesota.

A total of five state government offices are being investigated, including the governor's office, the attorney general's office, and the Minneapolis mayor's office. The FBI reportedly served subpoenas to the state's top government officials seeking records and communications from each of their offices.

"When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he's encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime," US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

Walz responded to news of the subpoenas by accusing the Trump administration of "weaponizing the justice system."

"Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly," Walz posted on the US social media platform X. "Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her."

Frey asserted that he "will not be intimidated" by the DOJ's tactics.

"This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our city," Frey posted on X. "I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe."

The White House accused Walz and Frey of stirring up anti-ICE protesters, who reportedly interrupted a church service Sunday in the Twin Cities.

"There is no low these radical leftists won’t stoop to," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News. "Jacob Frey and Tim Walz have whipped these rioters into a frenzy and turned them loose to wreak havoc on Minneapolis."

"Frey and Walz should be ashamed for inciting such chaos, but the Trump administration will continue enforcing the law," she added.

Justice Department officials said they are also opening an investigation into the church disruption. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement that they are probing for federal civil rights violations "by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers."