In Letter to Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Noem, 22 AGs Call DOJ’s Demand Letter an “After-The-Fact Attempt to Justify a Highly Concerning Federal Operation”
New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in denouncing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) latest attempt to coerce the state of Minnesota. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General James and the coalition condemn the Trump administration’s effort to exploit recent chaos in Minnesota to pressure state leaders into turning over sensitive resident data and dismantling longstanding public safety policies. The attorneys general warn that these thinly veiled federal threats are likely to conflict with ongoing litigation and court-ordered protections.
“The federal government is asking us to accept a belated justification for its unlawful actions in Minnesota,” said Attorney General James. “We refuse to be intimidated by these threats, and we reject their unlawful demands that infringe on Minnesota’s fundamental sovereignty. My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to stand firm in defense of the rule of law and Americans’ rights.”
Attorney General James and the coalition sent today's letter in response to Attorney General Bondi’s January 24 letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, which accused the state – without any concrete evidence – of enabling widespread fraud. The Bondi letter, sent the same day federal immigration agents fatally shot a Minneapolis resident for the second time in as many weeks, demanded a series of drastic actions in exchange for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota.
In today’s letter, the attorneys general write that Attorney General Bondi’s demands are “inconsistent with fundamental principles of our federal system,” including the request that Minnesota turn over sensitive Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data, dismantle critical local public safety policies, and grant the federal government access to Minnesota voter information.
The attorneys general warn that Attorney General Bondi’s actions toward Minnesota represent a dangerous escalation that threatens the constitutional balance of power between states and the federal government. They assert that the demands amount to a profound intrusion on state sovereignty and conclude that DOJ’s letter is an unlawful and unsupported attempt to “terrify the people of Minnesota and coerce the state into abandoning” the residents it is sworn to protect. With so many of DOJ’s actions already blocked by courts across the country, the attorneys general decry the administration for “attempting through force what it cannot achieve through the courts.”
Attorney General James and the coalition unequivocally condemn the administration’s dangerous and escalating assault on Minnesota. They express their unwavering support for the people of Minnesota and reject the Trump administration’s “demand[s] that we ignore the unlawful acts that our eyes clearly see and accept pretextual justifications or outright fabrications instead.” As the attorneys general emphasize, “states and their residents should not be subjected to violence and terror at the hands of federal law enforcement.” In New York and nationwide, state governments remain focused on protecting the safety and well-being of their residents. In contrast, the attorneys general write, the unleashing of rogue federal agents into the neighborhoods of Minnesota has brought only fear, chaos, and violence.
Attorney General James and the coalition make clear that their states will continue to stand firm against unlawful federal interference and will defend both state sovereignty and the rights of their residents. The coalition respectfully urges the administration to end its dangerous and unlawful campaign against Minnesota immediately, before anyone else gets hurt.
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