Several federal prosecutors in Minnesota have stepped down amidst tensions surrounding the federal inquiry into the death of a woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. Additionally, multiple supervisors in the criminal division of the Justice Department’s civil rights unit have also announced their resignations.
The resignations come following discord over the Trump administration’s decision to exclude the state from the investigation into the shooting of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an immigration agent recently. According to sources, attorneys in the civil rights division were informed that the section would not participate in the probe at this stage. The Justice Department indicated that it currently sees no grounds to launch a criminal civil rights investigation into Good’s death.
The move to keep the civil rights division out of the investigation represents a significant shift from past practices where previous administrations swiftly probed officer-involved shootings for potential civil rights violations. Among those resigning in Minnesota is First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who was overseeing a broad investigation and prosecution of fraud in the state.
At least four other prosecutors in the Minnesota U.S. attorney’s office have resigned alongside Thompson amid internal tensions, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter. These departures add to the growing number of Justice Department attorneys who have left due to concerns about political influence or changes in priorities under the current administration.
Minnesota Democratic lawmakers have criticized the resignations, with Sen. Amy Klobuchar emphasizing the impact on public safety and cautioning against prosecutions being swayed by political motives. Governor Tim Walz expressed worries about potential political pressures on career Justice Department officials.
The resignations of the attorneys in the criminal section of the civil rights division were communicated to staff on Monday. The Justice Department clarified that these prosecutors had sought early retirement well before the events in Minnesota, refuting any claims suggesting otherwise.
Established nearly seven decades ago, the civil rights division has a history of investigating civilian shootings by law enforcement officers, although prosecuting such cases requires meeting a high legal standard. Previous administrations have promptly initiated and publicized such investigations to address potential civil rights violations and ease community tensions following law enforcement-involved incidents.
In a separate instance, during the early Trump administration, the Justice Department launched a civil rights inquiry into the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, resulting in criminal charges. The Biden administration later reviewed the Minneapolis Police Department for potential systemic civil rights violations through a “pattern or practice” investigation, a type of police reform examination less favored in the current Justice Department under the Trump administration.