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Minnesota U.S. Attorney Defends Capacity After 44% Staff Decline

The briefing coincided with charges against 12 alleged Minneapolis gang members.

Overview

  • U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said the office has “more than adequate” resources, citing DOJ reinforcements and a hiring push with offers out and strong applicants.
  • Staffing has dropped from 64 assistant U.S. attorneys in January 2025 to 36 now, a net loss of 11 under Rosen, with 26 assigned to criminal prosecutions.
  • Departures have been linked by reporters to disputes over DOJ handling of the Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti shootings, an influx of immigration-related habeas cases, and political directives.
  • Operational strain has shown up in court: a case was dismissed after a missed deadline, a meth defendant was released when a prosecutor retired, and judges recently issued two civil contempt citations to the office.
  • Rosen acknowledged the loss of institutional knowledge and said the pace of prosecutions will increase in the coming weeks and months.