A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas to multiple public officials in Minnesota in an investigation alleging they are impeding the work of immigration agents.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Yeah, and this is happening as the Trump administration is cracking down and saying it's targeting undocumented immigrants. At times, it's also targeted U.S. citizens in Minnesota. And doctors there now say immigrants are avoiding vital medical care.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán is in Minneapolis. So, Sergio, DOJ subpoenas served to Minnesota Democrats. What's that about?
SERGIO MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN, BYLINE: Yes. The grand jury subpoenas went out to several local and state leaders. They include Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, State Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her. The Department of Justice accuses those officials of conspiring to impede the feds on immigration enforcement. And you'll remember a comment Mayor Frey made after the deadly shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent two weeks ago. Frey called on ICE agents to get out of Minneapolis, and Governor Walz encouraged residents to protest peacefully and to record the operations carried out by immigration authorities. He wants the public to help create a database with evidence for future prosecutions. Leaders with the Trump administration said yesterday that Walz and Frey are using heated rhetoric and accusations to distract from the facts.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. Now, I mean, DOJ subpoenas are serious stuff. So what are Minnesota officials saying?
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: You know, they have suggested they are unfazed by these subpoenas. They say it's an intimidation tactic by the Trump administration, one where they're weaponizing the Justice Department. Mayor Frey said, quote, "we should not have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with," end quote.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. And, Sergio, part of the reason state officials have pushed back is because of what they say is ICE's illegal actions in their state.
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: Yeah. You know, U.S. citizens have been detained, and ICE agents have intimidated people who followed them to alert neighbors of their presence. Federal agents have used pepper spray on protesters, and they are pulling people from their cars. However, Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol chief in charge of the operations, justified the behavior of his agents in a press conference yesterday.
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GREG BOVINO: What we do is legal, ethical and moral. Everything we do every day is legal, ethical, moral, well-grounded in law.
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: Last week, a federal judge ruled that ICE agents cannot arrest, pepper-spray or retaliate against peaceful protesters and observers.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, you've been there for the last two weeks. I mean, tell us how these operations affect the day-to-day lives of people there.
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: It's incredible, A. I mean, it feels like there are agents everywhere. And you can see them in residential neighborhoods, the bus stops, parking lots. And two things are notable here. One - some businesses are losing money big time. I talked to Ricardo Hernandez. He owns 11 Mexican restaurants in the region.
RICARDO HERNANDEZ: (Speaking Spanish).
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: He says he's lost 60% in revenue since the beginning of the year. And just so you have an idea, A, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Hernandez's sales went down by just 10%. Hernandez says if this continues, businesses will have to shut down for good. Medical care has also been affected. Dozens of Minnesota doctors in a news conference yesterday said patients afraid of being picked up by ICE are staying home. They say pregnant women are missing prenatal visits. They worry about ICE and patient privacy. And one doctor said a mom was afraid to seek care for her baby, who was having trouble breathing, for fear she'd be detained.
MARTÍNEZ: Wow. All right. That's NPR's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán in Minneapolis. Thanks a lot.
MARTÍNEZ-BELTRÁN: You're welcome.
(SOUNDBITE OF EMPEROR PENGUIN'S "MOOD MOUND") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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