Moriarty threatens suit over federal 'obstruction' as Pretti, Good charging decisions near
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has sent formal Touhy letters to DOJ and DHS demanding the full evidentiary record in the ICE killing of Renee Good — including weapons and casings, all video and photos, medical and autopsy records, training materials, and the identities and statements of every federal officer — with a mid‑February deadline, and set a March 3 deadline for evidence in the Alex Pretti case. Moriarty says federal agencies are already "obstructing" her investigations and is prepared to sue if requests are ignored; she has launched a Transparency and Accountability Project to crowdsource evidence on 17 incidents and says she expects enough non‑federal evidence to make charging decisions, though Supremacy Clause protections make state trials of federal officers unlikely.
📌 Key Facts
- The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has sent formal Touhy letters to the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security demanding the full evidentiary record in the ICE killing of Renee Good and the Alex Pretti shooting, including weapons and casings, all video and photos, medical and autopsy records, internal policies and training materials, and the identities and statements of every federal officer involved.
- The office set firm deadlines for federal compliance — mid‑February for its initial Touhy request and a March 3 deadline for Pretti‑case evidence — and will treat non‑compliance as further obstruction of its investigations.
- County Attorney Mary Moriarty says federal agencies are already 'obstructing' her office’s investigations into the Good and Pretti shootings and is prepared to file new lawsuits (as soon as Tuesday) if the Touhy demands are ignored.
- Moriarty publicly reiterated she expects to have sufficient non‑federal evidence to make charging decisions in both the Good and Pretti cases despite federal resistance and the legal hurdles posed by the Supremacy Clause.
- Reporters and county officials warn that without federal cooperation a state prosecution of ICE officer Jonathan Ross in the Good case would face huge Supremacy Clause barriers, making it unlikely a federal officer would ever face a state trial and meaning a criminal case would almost certainly have to come from federal prosecutors.
- Moriarty has launched a 'Transparency and Accountability Project' portal to collect public evidence on 17 separate incidents involving potentially unlawful actions by federal agents, including alleged actions by Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino.
📊 Relevant Data
Between January 19 and February 18, 2026, internal emails from the Department of Homeland Security show 67 incidents of ICE officers' use of force were reported.
ICE ignored increase in use of force reports among its agents: Report — san.com
Violent crime has fallen in Minneapolis as streets swelled with thousands of immigration officers during Operation Metro Surge in early 2026.
Violent crime is down in Minneapolis, but police overtime is up amid immigration surge — Star Tribune
There have been a very tiny number of successful state prosecutions of federal officers in American history due to the Supremacy Clause.
Do Federal Officials Really Have “Absolute Immunity”? — The New Yorker
DHS law enforcement experienced more than 180 vehicle attacks since President Trump took office, representing a 3,300% increase in such attacks.
DHS Law Enforcement Experienced More Than 180 Vehicle Attacks Since President Trump Took Office — Department of Homeland Security
The foreign-born population in Hennepin County, Minnesota, is 13.6% as of 2020-2024.
Hennepin County, Minnesota - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Moriarty says federal agencies are already 'obstructing' her office’s investigation into the Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings and is prepared to file new lawsuits as soon as Tuesday if Touhy demands are ignored.
- Her office set a March 3 response deadline on its Touhy request for Pretti-case evidence and will treat non‑compliance as further obstruction.
- Moriarty publicly reiterated she expects to have enough non‑federal evidence to make charging decisions in both Good and Pretti shootings despite federal resistance and the Supremacy Clause hurdle.
- She formally launched a "Transparency and Accountability Project" portal to collect public evidence on 17 separate incidents involving potentially unlawful actions by federal agents, including actions by Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino.
- The article underlines that, in practice, Supremacy Clause protections make it unlikely federal officers will ever face a state trial, so any criminal case would almost certainly have to come from federal prosecutors.
- The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has now sent formal Touhy letters to both DOJ and DHS demanding the full evidentiary record in the ICE killing of Renee Good, including weapons and casings, all video and photos, medical and autopsy records, internal policies and training materials, and the identities and statements of every federal officer involved.
- The office set a specific deadline (mid‑February) for the federal government to turn over materials, framing it as necessary to complete its criminal review because DOJ has signaled it is not pursuing its own criminal case.
- The article underscores that without federal cooperation, any state prosecution of ICE officer Jonathan Ross would face huge legal hurdles under supremacy‑clause protections — making this document demand a key test of whether local authorities will be allowed to fully investigate.