A Trump administration immigration crackdown in Minnesota that brought a surge of federal agents also sharply slowed other criminal investigations and prosecutions, according to a Reuters review of court records. Cases involving guns and drugs dropped steeply, some prosecutors resigned, and federal agents were reassigned from task forces or diverted cases to state authorities.
From January through April, federal prosecutors filed just eight gun and drug cases, compared with 77 during the same period a year earlier. Total felony charges fell to 90, about half the previous year’s level, with a significant share tied to protest-related and immigration offenses rather than traditional violent or organized crime.
Local officials say the shift has strained public safety efforts. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said federal resources have been so depleted that complex cases are now being routed to her office, an unusual move. Current and former officials warned that prioritizing immigration enforcement has reduced the federal government’s capacity to pursue serious crimes, potentially leaving dangerous offenders unaddressed.
Brad Heath, Andrew Goudsward and Kristina Cooke have more here.
