U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz demanding the state take three specific actions before federal immigration agents would consider reducing their presence in Minneapolis, including handing over voter rolls.
In the letter, Bondi blamed both state and local leaders for the unrest that has come in response to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. She said that Walz could "restore the rule of law."
The Context
The letter comes after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, during a federal immigration enforcement operation. The shooting of Pretti comes less than three weeks after Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot dead by an immigration agent in the same city.
Both incidents have sparked widespread protests and condemnation. In the case of both shootings, conflicting narratives have come from federal and state officials, and video footage taken by bystanders at both incidents has sparked questions and criticism.
Federal agents said that Pretti resisted violently, and Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that an official fired "defensive shots." Walz, though, has said that this account is "nonsense" and "lies."
Following the shooting, the odds of a government shutdown have surged after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said his party will block a Department of Homeland Security funding package.
What To Know
Bondi set out a list of three demands in the letter, including that the Department of Justice be given the state’s voter registration records, that the state repeal the "sanctuary policies," and share its records on Medicaid, and Food and Nutrition Service programs.
The attorney general said that there had been a 1,300 percent increase in violence against ICE officers and a 3,200 percent increase in vehicular attacks against federal agents, using these figures as justification for continued operations.
She blamed the rhetoric of Minnesota officials for the violence and wrote, "You and other Minnesota officials have refused to support the men and women risking their lives to protect Americans and uphold the rule of law."
She criticized Walz specifically for describing federal law enforcement as "Trump's modern-day Gestapo" and criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for saying "ICE: Get the f*** out of Minneapolis."
The letter has prompted criticism online from Democratic voices.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on X, "This has never been about safety or immigration. It’s a pretext for Trump to take over elections in swing states."
Democratic Strategist Matt McDermott also addressed the letter in a post viewed over 4 million times, where he wrote, "As insane as this sounds, it’s true: Pam Bondi sent Minnesota officials a letter today saying ICE would leave the state if Minnesota turns over its voter files to the Trump Administration."
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in a post on X on January 24: "I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
Attorney General Pam Bondi, in the letter: "You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota."
Richard W. Painter, a law professor and former chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007, on X: "This sure sounds like extortion."
The Voter Protection Project, in a post on X: "That’s not immigration policy. That’s leverage. Even more, it's election interference dressed up as "enforcement."
What Happens Next?
Walz has not publicly responded to the letter as of reporting.
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