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Trump Declares a Legal War on Sanctuary Cities
President Donald Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, January 16, 2026. (Photo by Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Reports say the Justice Department is investigating Tim Walz and Jacob Frey for obstructing ICE. The Constitution says they’re within their rights.
By Jed Rubenfeld
01.18.26 — U.S. Politics
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The war over “sanctuary” policies may be reaching a climax. According to The Washington Post and CBS News, the Justice Department is investigating Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly conspiring to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The investigation—if it’s real and if it goes forward—will probably focus on what the White House called on Friday Walz’s and Frey’s “toxic combination of ‘sanctuary’ policies and anti-ICE rhetoric,” which “has created a climate of hostility that endangers federal officers and incites violence.”

What exactly are sanctuary policies? Are they legal, and could Walz or Frey be prosecuted for them?

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Jed Rubenfeld
Jed Rubenfeld is a professor of constitutional law at Yale Law School, a free speech lawyer, and host of the Straight Down the Middle podcast. He is the author of five books, including the million-copy bestselling novel The Interpretation of Murder, and his work has been translated into over thirty languages. He lives with his wife, Amy Chua, in New York City, and is the proud father of two exceptional daughters, Sophia and Lulu.
Tags:
Donald Trump
Minneapolis
Law
ICE
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