Joseph Thompson, 47, the second-in-command at the US Attorney's Office in Minnesota, along with five subordinate prosecutors, submitted their resignations on 13/1. Thompson is a veteran prosecutor who previously led a large-scale fraud investigation in Minnesota before his resignation.
Other prosecutors who resigned at the same time include Harry Jacobs, Melinda Williams, and Thomas Calhoun Lopez. Mr. Jacobs, Thompson's deputy, was in charge of the fraud investigation. Mr. Calhoun Lopez led the violent and serious crime unit.
The identities of the remaining two prosecutors are unknown. Thompson, Jacobs, Williams, and Calhoun Lopez all declined to comment on their reasons for resigning. The Department of Justice has not responded to requests for comment.
"It's unprecedented for so many people in so many leadership positions to resign simultaneously," said Doug Kelley, a former prosecutor who worked at the US Attorney's Office in Minnesota from 1978 to 1985.
The resignations followed pressure from senior Department of Justice leaders to open a criminal investigation into Becca Good, the wife of Renee Nicole Good. Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an encounter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 7/1.
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Federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson speaks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 6/2025. Reuters
Thompson opposed this effort and also disagreed with the US Department of Justice's refusal to cooperate with state officials to investigate the shooting, according to sources.
Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, previously told subordinates that she would not consider opening an investigation into the possibility of an ICE agent violating federal law, four sources said.
Instead, the US Department of Justice opened an investigation to examine the connection between Good and his wife Becca with several groups that monitor and protest immigration enforcement activities. Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem called Good a "domestic terrorist."
In a statement last week, Becca said the two "stopped their car to assist neighbors" when they encountered the group of ICE agents, leading to the shooting. "We carried whistles, they carried guns," Becca stated.
An ICE agent shoots Renee Nicole Good in south Minneapolis, Minnesota. X/Maxnesteras
According to sources familiar with the developments, Thompson initially intended to coordinate the investigation with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the state agency that reviews police shootings, but Department of Justice leaders rejected this decision to cooperate.
ICE's immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis began in 12/, with about 100 federal agents, later increasing to 2,000 agents. The Minneapolis Police Department has only about 600 officers.
Local leaders and immigrant rights organizations criticized the operation, arguing that agents stopped people on the streets based on their appearance and accent. Many vehicle stops led to violent arrests targeting both immigrants and US citizens.
On 12/1, Minnesota, along with Illinois, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, demanding federal agents be prohibited from threatening to use force against individuals not subject to arrest, requiring them to wear identification badges, use body-worn cameras, and not cover their faces.
ICE agent's viewpoint before fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, on 7/1. X/AlphaNews
By Duc Trung (According to Washington Post, AP, Hill)
