MINNESOTA SUES DOJ & DHS FOR EVIDENCE IN PRETTI & GOOD DEATHS
State says federal agencies seized key evidence in the Alex Pretti and Renee Good shootings — and are blocking investigators’ access.
Minnesota has sued the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security again, demanding access to evidence connected to the killings of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during encounters involving federal immigration authorities.
The new lawsuit follows an earlier case in Minnesota, where the state sought an emergency restraining order to prevent federal agencies from destroying or withholding materials tied to the investigations. A federal judge initially granted a temporary order in January barring the destruction of evidence, but allowed it to expire in early February after concluding the government was unlikely to take such action.
Now Minnesota is shifting strategy — and venue. On Tuesday, the state filed a new suit in Washington, D.C., arguing that federal agencies are unlawfully withholding evidence and blocking Minnesota’s ability to do what state authorities are legally responsible for doing: investigate violence and determine whether state criminal law was violated.
“The State of Minnesota has the authority and responsibility to protect against and address violence within its borders,” the state wrote, arguing that Minnesota investigators must be able to gather facts, evaluate evidence, and decide whether crimes occurred. But according to the filing, federal authorities took exclusive possession of collected materials and denied Minnesota access to crucial information.
The dispute is not simply procedural — it is about who controls the truth.
Minnesota says the Trump administration refused to conduct a joint investigation with the state into the killings, leaving the federal government as the sole gatekeeper over evidence that would ordinarily be reviewed by state investigators, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The state argues that this undermines Minnesota sovereignty and violates the 10th Amendment by interfering with Minnesota’s ability to carry out its core law enforcement duties.
Gov. Tim Walz framed the conflict in blunt terms on X: “Trump’s left hand cannot investigate his right hand.” He said Minnesota will continue pushing for impartial investigations and justice for both Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Federal officials, meanwhile, quickly sided with the officers involved and made disparaging public claims about the two Minnesotans, accusing them of attempting domestic terrorism. Those statements fueled outrage because officials typically avoid commentary during an ongoing investigation — and because the comments raised immediate questions about whether a federal-only investigation could be fair.
After Pretti’s killing, the Justice Department opened a civil rights probe into his death through the team that evaluates excessive force. But it has still not launched the same kind of inquiry into Renee Good’s case — an imbalance that has only intensified demands for transparency.
If the federal government holds the evidence, controls access, and decides what gets shared, accountability becomes optional.
And when accountability is optional, justice becomes a performance.
Now vote on this:
If Minnesota can’t access evidence in two killings that happened in Minnesota, then no state can.
That isn’t “coordination.” That’s federal control over accountability.
Demand accountability for Renée Good and Alex Pritt. Keep the pressure on.
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