Exodus Continues: Federal Prosecutors Depart Minnesota Amid Controversy

Wed Feb 04 2026 01:30:39 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A wave of resignations at the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota reflects frustrations over immigration enforcement policies and the response to civil rights incidents involving federal agents.

Recent departures from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota highlight ongoing tensions related to immigration enforcement and law enforcement's response to civil rights issues. Following fatal incidents involving federal agents, frustration has mounted among legal staff, prompting a new wave of resignations, including those linked to the controversial shooting of Renee Good.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota is facing an unprecedented wave of departures as federal prosecutors resign amid intense frustration over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies and dissatisfaction with the Justice Department's response to civilian fatalities involving federal agents.

Recent reports confirm that a growing number of lawyers are leaving the office, adding to the dozen attorneys who resigned last month due to disagreements over federal law enforcement's approach to the shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Sources say that as many as eight additional attorneys have left or announced their intention to resign, indicating a trend that may continue as frustrations within the ranks boil over. Among the departed is at least one supervisory agent from the FBI's Minneapolis office, highlighting a broad dissatisfaction across federal law enforcement agencies.

Officials from the Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Monday that the revolving door of staff departures is indicative of turmoil surrounding law enforcement's escalating confrontations and responses to violent incidents tied to immigration enforcement.

In the context of rising tensions, Minnesota officials expressed alarm after federal agents obstructed state investigators from accessing critical evidence related to the Good shooting, effectively claiming that the state had no jurisdiction in the investigation. The Justice Department has also resisted calls for a civil rights inquiry into Good's death, further exacerbating the dissatisfaction among Minnesota law enforcement officials.

In a turn of events, the Department of Justice announced its decision to open a civil rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol officers, reversing its earlier position of leaving the probe to the Department of Homeland Security.

The office has yet to release an official comment regarding the ongoing departures and the situation's implications for federal law enforcement in Minnesota.