At least six senior career prosecutors have resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis, raising serious questions about the handling of a high-profile case involving the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE officer.
Among those who stepped down is Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, a widely respected prosecutor who also served as acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota from June to October after being appointed by President Donald Trump. The other prosecutors who resigned include Harry Jacobs, Melinda Williams, Thomas Calhoun-Lopez, Ruth Schneider, and Tom Hollenhurst.
According to people familiar with the matter, the resignations were driven by deep concern over how the case is being classified and investigated. Prosecutors objected to pressure to treat the shooting as an assault on a federal officer, rather than a civil rights case, which they believed was the appropriate legal path.
Sources say prosecutors were also disturbed by requests to investigate the victim’s widow, who was present when the ICE officers encountered the couple. This move reportedly crossed ethical lines for several members of the office.
Another major point of conflict was the refusal of federal investigators to cooperate with Minnesota state authorities in probing the killing. Prosecutors who resigned felt this lack of coordination undermined transparency and accountability.
Joe Thompson is known for leading some of Minnesota’s most significant cases. He was the chief prosecutor in the “Feeding Our Future” scandal, a massive COVID-era fraud involving about $250 million meant to provide meals for children. Thompson later pursued cases involving alleged fraud in housing and autism service programs, estimating total fraud in the state at more than $9 billion, a figure disputed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Legal experts say the mass resignation is unprecedented. A former federal prosecutor called it the darkest moment for the rule of law in Minnesota in decades, saying the resignations signal that prosecutors were being asked to act against their conscience.
When experienced prosecutors walk away rather than follow improper orders, it sends a powerful message,” the former official said. “They are saying this is not acceptable.”
The fallout has also taken on political overtones. Following the Feeding Our Future case, President Trump repeatedly criticized Minnesota’s Somali-American community, as several defendants in that case were of Somali origin. His administration later cited the fraud investigation as justification for deploying thousands of federal immigration agents to the Minneapolis area.
Governor Tim Walz described Thompson’s resignation as “a huge loss for our state”, warning that career professionals are being pushed out of the Justice Department and replaced with political loyalists.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar also voiced concern, saying justice must never be shaped by politics. She emphasized that the family of the woman killed deserves accountability and fairness, not political pressure.
Despite the controversy, Thompson recently handled another major case, filing charges against a man accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as shooting a state senator and his wife, who survived.
As reported by usaharmony.com, the sudden exit of six experienced prosecutors has shaken confidence in federal law enforcement in Minnesota. The resignations highlight growing tension between career legal professionals and political leadership, and raise urgent questions about independence, ethics, and justice in high-stakes cases involving federal authority.
