St. Paul Mayor Her responds to subpoena amid immigration enforcement probe

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said she will comply with a Justice Department subpoena served as part of a federal investigation into whether Minnesota leaders obstruct immigration enforcement.

Driving the news: Justice Department officials served subpoenas to five Democratic leaders in Minnesota last Tuesday, including Her, Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison and Hennepin County.

The inquiry follows weeks of protests triggered by ICE agent Jonathan Ross’ fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 8. As part of the investigation, prosecutors requested documents on immigration policies and scheduled a Feb. 3 hearing, though the subpoenas cite no specific criminal statute. Investigators are probing potential conspiracy to obstruct thousands of federal agents operating statewide since last month.

What she’s saying: At a public event Wednesday, Her said she was consulting legal counsel on compliance while making clear she stands firm on the city’s actions. “We have done our best to prepare for the — I believe — the lawlessness of ICE and their agents and how our cities have been under siege,” she said. “I do believe that our response has been equal to match what we have been receiving.” She also told CNN that “if this government wants us to obey the rule of law, that they also need to follow that as well, and that they cannot expect residents who are feeling terrorized and sieged to be operating under any different circumstances.”

A naturalized citizen from Laos, Her expressed confidence about the investigation ahead, saying, “There is not much that you can throw at a refugee though and phase them, so I’m ready for it.”

The big picture: The subpoena arrives as Her begins her third week leading St. Paul as its first woman and first Asian American mayor during an immigration crackdown disproportionately affecting Asian American residents.

For her, the crisis is deeply personal as she knows ChongLy Scott Thao, a naturalized citizen whom ICE agents removed from his home in his underwear in subfreezing weather. Thao’s case reflects how federal enforcement tactics pressure immigrant-background leaders like Her while their constituents face what many characterize as racial profiling. Her has said she carries her passport constantly because agents “may try to target me based on what I look like.”