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This week, the Department of Justice forged ahead with criminal investigations into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey—just a few days after Minnesota filed suit against Homeland Security over its surge of federal agents in and around the Twin Cities. State Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty are also being roped in and face subpoenas. The federal government is considering whether to charge Minnesota officials with conspiracy to impede federal agents’ immigration enforcement duties, but the case is clearly doomed to the same failure that met President Donald Trump’s efforts to prosecute political adversaries New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. While those cases fell on technicalities, the investigations of the Minneapolis officials look likely to topple on more straightforward grounds: An administration that postures as fierce defenders of First Amendment rights is targeting these officials purely for their speech. While this effort is destined to fail, it still has the power to inflict long-term damage.

“The government may not take action based on the viewpoint of the speaker. Period, full stop,” former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant........

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