In a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Pam Bondi requests he “restore the order of law, support ICE officers and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota”. The letter, sent the same day Alex Pretti was killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis, reads more like a ransom note than a government document.
In it, she makes three demands. “First, share all of Minnesota’s records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data”. Bondi claims that access to this info would allow the federal government to “ensure Minnesota’s welfare funds are being used to help those in need, not enrich fraudsters”.
Her second demand is to “repeal the sanctuary policies that have led to so much crime and violence in your state”. It is important to note that Bondi was unable to list any actual policies; maybe because Minnesota doesn’t even have any “sanctuary cities”. Some cities have adopted laws that limit local law enforcement’s ability to aid federal agents, but none have outright banned it. This rhetoric is simply to stir up drama and paint these cities in a bad light, in hopes of making ICE’s actions more palatable for the masses.
Her third demand for Walz is to “allow the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to access voter rolls”. According to Bondi, the release of these records would “allow the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud” in Minnesota. Keep in mind, the Trump administration has failed to provide any credible evidence of widespread voter fraud in Minnesota or any other state.
The Trump administration is currently suing over 15 states for their full, unredacted voter files, “including partial social security numbers, full dates of birth, and driver’s license numbers”. Giving the federal government unfettered access to this information would inevitably lead to a decrease in voter turnout, as many people would fear retaliation for their votes and potential unlawful use of their personal data.
The public image of this administration is so bad that many Republicans are actually fearful of what may happen in the upcoming midterm elections. There is a very real chance that voters will elect enough Democratic candidates to regain the House and the Senate. That is why Trump and the Republican leadership want access to states’ voter registration data. Not to “scan the lists for non-citizen voters”, but to make it easier for them to claim voter fraud when they lose. Remember what happened last time Trump tried that?
This administration has shown that its willingness to use ICE for its personal agendas under the guise of “immigration control”. Using ICEs’ presence in Minnesota as a threat to get Walz to release this information should alarm you, whether you live there or not.
