Law Prof Claims Minnesota Is a ‘Separate, Sovereign’ Entity Entitled to Enforce Its Own Laws

As Fox News' Bill Melugin reported last week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was asking for the FBI to allow state law enforcement to participate in the federal investigation into the shooting of a woman who tried to run down an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Melugin correctly noted that Minnesota is a sanctuary state that refuses to work with federal agents in arresting illegal aliens.

NEW: Sanctuary state governor Tim Walz is asking the Feds to allow his Minnesota state law enforcement to be part of the federal investigation into the deadly ICE shooting.

Ironic, of course, given Minnesota does not cooperate with ICE.

"Let us be part of this," Walz said.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 8, 2026

CNN reports that it's highly unusual that the feds are not letting the state be a part of this federal investigation:

Mutual distrust between federal and state authorities derailed plans for a joint FBI and state criminal investigation into Wednesday’s shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer, leading to the highly unusual move by the Justice Department to block state investigators from participating in the probe.
…
Behind the move to sever ties were concerns in the Trump administration that state officials couldn’t be trusted with information that emerges from the probe, and that ICE agents’ safety would be put at risk, including with potential doxxing of agents involved, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.
The mistrust goes both ways, as state officials attacked the conduct of ICE agents and raised concerns that federal authorities can’t be trusted to fairly investigate given public statements from President Donald Trump and other administration officials accusing the woman killed of being a domestic terrorist.

Michigan Law School professor Barb McQuade pointed out that Minnesota is a sovereign entity, and the feds have no right to freeze out state investigators.

Law Prof Claims Minnesota Is a ‘Separate, Sovereign’ Entity Entitled to Enforce Its Own Laws

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