Minnesota officials filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, March 24 against the Trump administration following the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. They believe this is the only way to access the evidence they need to independently investigate the three shootings committed by ICE federal agents.
“I am ready to fight for transparency and accountability that the federal government seeks to avoid at all costs,” said Mary Moriarty, the county prosecutor, to the press on March 24. “There must be an investigation every time a federal agent or state agent takes the life of a person in our community,” she added.
The unprecedented decision by Minnesota legal authorities also responds to statements by the Trump administration, which stated that Minnesota authorities did not have sufficient competencies to investigate. They want to conduct their own investigations because they do not trust the federal government to investigate themselves.
An anti-immigration operation without precedent
The administration deployed thousands of agents to the Minneapolis and St. Paul region to combat immigration as part of the national deportation campaign ordered by President Trump. The Department of Homeland Security considered this immigration control operation, one of the largest, a success. However, it sparked criticism from Minnesota leaders who denounced the conduct of the agents.
The Department of Justice announced in January that it was opening a federal civil rights investigation into the murder of Alex Pretti, but stated that a similar federal investigation was not justified in the case of Renee Good’s murder.
Evidence contradicted by images
In both cases, initial reports of the shootings by federal officers were at least partially contradicted by video evidence. Mary Moriarty explained that the federal government “adopted a policy of categorical evidence retention.”
The prosecutor finds this practice particularly alarming. She emphasized that if she filed a lawsuit, it is because the federal government systematically blocked Minnesota investigators when they requested access to the shooting case files, including additional information such as the names of the agents involved.
Risk of collusion?
Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department only investigates law enforcement shootings if the circumstances and facts justify an investigation. Blanche, appointed by President Trump to head the Justice Department, was Trump’s personal attorney in a criminal trial in 2024 in New York where the president was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying commercial documents.
Mary Moriarty is not alone in filing a lawsuit. Alongside her are Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s Attorney General, and Drew Evans, the head of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who are investigating law enforcement shootings.
An unprecedented and extraordinary situation
Attorney Keith Ellison underscored how unprecedented the situation is. It is rare for the federal government to refuse to investigate law enforcement shootings jointly. He stated that it is absolutely extraordinary and pointless if justice is the goal to have to go through this process.
Mary Moriarty explained that Minnesota should have a chance to succeed because their main claim is that they have the right to review evidence of potential crimes. She added that not only do they have the right, but they also have the obligation to investigate if agents have committed crimes in their jurisdiction.
The two Minnesota prosecutors gathered evidence on the three shootings independently by relying heavily on reports submitted through an online portal created by their offices.
Regardless of the outcome, the trial could have significant implications for federal and state power. If a federal judge grants the state’s request, it would provide legal support for state and local officials to investigate federal agents. Conversely, if the federal government is allowed to withhold evidence, it could discourage cooperation between the federal government and states.
