A group of Democratic state attorneys general criticized the Justice Department’s demands to Minnesota amid the conflict over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in the state.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi recently made a series of demands of Minnesota’s government in exchange for drawing down immigration enforcement activities in cities like Minneapolis and others.
The attorneys general sent Bondi a letter condemning her demands, arguing that the federal government is engaged in “a dangerous and ongoing assault on the State of Minnesota and its residents.” They contended that Bondi’s demands are “an after-the-fact attempt to justify a highly concerning federal operation.”
The officials claim the administration is not trying to stop fraud or apprehend dangerous illegal immigrants but trying “to terrify the people of Minnesota and coerce the State into abandoning policies and protections it has the sovereign authority to pursue.”
The Tenth Amendment protects state authority and requires the federal government to respect Minnesota’s autonomy, the letter argues.
Bondi demanded that Minnesota share all records on Medicaid and food assistance with the federal government, end its sanctuary policies, and grant federal authorities access to voter rolls. The letter claims these demands have “no lawful basis,” violate privacy, and are based on “false rumors the Administration itself has perpetuated that undocumented people are engaging in mass voter fraud.”
The attorneys general acknowledge that the federal government can enforce immigration law. But it cannot “commandeer” states, threaten funding, or force policy changes that courts have already rejected.
New York Attorney General Letitia James accused the White House of “asking us to accept a belated justification for its unlawful actions in Minnesota” and that “We refuse to be intimidated by these threats.”
Bondi offered to reduce the number of federal immigration officers deployed to the state as part of Operation Metro Surge. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon characterized the demands as “an apparent ransom to pay for our state’s peace and security.”
Others have criticized Bondi’s demands as a way to retroactively justify the 3,000 immigration officers sent to the state to apprehend illegal immigrants.
The conflict in Minnesota intensified afterr Border Patrol and ICE agents were involved in two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens who were protesting against the Trump administration’s enforcement actions in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
The shootings prompted President Donald Trump to replace Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who oversaw the activity in Minnesota. He sent border czar Tom Homan to take the reins earlier this week.
🚨Border Czar Tom Homan says Minnesota has agreed to let county jails notify ICE of the release of illegal aliens so they can be taken into federal custody. pic.twitter.com/5nFet2AnNn
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 29, 2026
After speaking with Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and state Attorney General Keith Ellison, Homan announced on Thursday that Minnesota agreed to allow its jails to notify ICE when they release an illegal immigrant who has a criminal record. In exchange, the White House is recalibrating its approach to Minneapolis and other cities.