Matt Sepik

Those who quit include Minnesota U.S.

Attorney's Office Criminal Division Chief Melinda Williams and Joe Thompson, the lead fraud prosecutor.

According to a person familiar with the situation not authorized to speak publicly, the prosecutors quit over pressure to investigate Becca Good for ties to activist groups, which is protected First Amendment activity.

She's the widow of Renee Macklin Good, who was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross last week in Minneapolis.

The assistant U.S.

attorneys also object to the Justice Department's reluctance to investigate Ross.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch says there's, quote, currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.

For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepik in Minneapolis.

The attorneys aren't speaking publicly, but there are several reasons, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

That person asked that we not use their name because they're not authorized to talk to the media.

One of those reasons is tied to last week's fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Macklin Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

Trump administration officials say the agent fired in self-defense, but many state and local officials are pointing to video taken from multiple angles that contradicts claims that Good posed any threat.

The person with knowledge of the situation I spoke with says there's pressure from DOJ leaders to investigate Good's widow, Becca Good, for ties to activist groups, which is not illegal.

The group also objects to the DOJ's reluctance to investigate Agent Ross and to exclude state police from the investigation.

And the same source tells me that the veteran prosecutors are concerned that Trump's focus on immigration has drawn resources away from the fraud investigations.

Well, it's a loss of big talent.

The attorneys spent their careers with the Justice Department and prosecuted many major cases.

One of them is Melinda Williams, an assistant U.S.

attorney who led the criminal division here.

Another is Joe Thompson.