By Madison McVan | Reporter
Good morning, Reformers.
Reminder that we’re fundraising this week and next. Please give if you can.
Six months ago, the U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas for records relating to immigration enforcement from the offices of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as well as the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, the St. Paul Mayor’s Office, and the Hennepin and Ramsey County boards of commissioners.
Yesterday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz — a Bush appointee and former Scalia clerk — tossed out those subpoenas, and had strong words for the Trump administration. Schlitz wrote that he has “no doubt” that the subpoenas were issued for the purpose of harassing political opponents or coercing them into taking action.
“On the one hand, the evidence that the challenged subpoenas were issued for unlawful reasons is overwhelming. On the other hand, the Department has struggled — without success — to identify a single plausible investigatory justification for the subpoenas,” Schlitz wrote.
Michelle Griffith has a full breakdown.
To the rest of the news:
Dozens of concessions workers picketed outside Target Field during a one-day strike on June 22, 2026. (Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer)
By Max Nesterak
Dozens of unionized concessions workers picketed outside Target Field’s “front door” Gate 34 in Minneapolis on Monday as part of a one-day strike, the first in the stadium’s history, as workers seek higher pay and health insurance.
The strike landed on what will likely be one of the best attended games of the season, as the Twins faced off against the reigning champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The union asked fans to boycott the concessions in support of workers, but inside the stadium, many said they were unaware there was even a strike happening as they waited in line for $11 Sheboygan Bratwurst and $18 Bacon Burger Sliders, Max reports.
By Marcus Schmidt
Marcus Schmit, executive director of NAMI Minnesota, writes that many adults who qualify for Medicaid based on income and do not have dependent children will face new work-reporting requirements and must renew their coverage every six months instead of annually.
“On paper, these may sound like administrative changes. In reality, they will create barriers that will cause eligible people to lose access to healthcare, including critical mental health services,” Schmidt writes.
By Madison McVan
This is the Spanish-language version of our story “How one Minnesota family is managing life after deportation.”
A peek behind the curtain: Most of our readers are English-speaking, and we don’t have the infrastructure or resources to translate and distribute much of our work in other languages. But when we interview non-English speakers, we usually translate the story (by hiring a professional, not using AI!) so our sources and their families and friends can read it. You can help this story, and others we publish in Spanish, reach more readers by sending the link to folks who may be interested.
(And of course that fundraising I mentioned above help our efforts to reach these Spanish-speaking readers.)
IN OTHER NEWS
OH BY THE WAY
I just returned from the Investigative Reporters & Editors conference outside of Washington, D.C. Given the state of the news industry and the rise of artificial intelligence and post-truth politics, I often feel like I’m shouting into the void.
Spending time among nearly 2,000 journalists who are committed to truth-telling and holding powerful people accountable reminded me that I’m not alone. There are (still!) thousands of us using journalism as a tool for creating a more just world.
As my friend Jessica Lussenhop of ProPublica said in the trailer for their new podcast: “Investigative journalism is an act of optimism…. Because when the public knows the truth — not always, but more often than you’d think — things change.”
Here’s a song for your Tuesday.
Have a great day!
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