In brief
A recent wave of resignations at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota underscores a growing discontent among federal prosecutors due to intensified immigration enforcement and controversial responses to fatal shootings of civilians. The departures follow the shooting of Renee Good and have been compounded by disagreements over the Justice Department’s investigative actions. The situation illustrates ongoing tensions between local and federal law enforcement in the state.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new wave of departures is rippling through the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota, where additional federal prosecutors are leaving amid mounting frustration with the Trump administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement and the Justice Department’s response to fatal shootings of civilians by federal agents.
The latest departures come on top of a half-dozen attorneys who left last month over disagreements regarding the Justice Department’s handling of the shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. At least one supervisory agent in the FBI’s Minneapolis office also resigned.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Monday that eight attorneys have departed the office or announced plans to do so, with confirmations that more departures are expected. Frustrations revolve around the limited access state investigators have had to evidence in the Good shooting and the declaration that Minnesota has no jurisdiction to investigate the case.
After initially stating that the Department of Homeland Security would lead the investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, killed by Border Patrol officers, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department would conduct a civil rights investigation.
