Florida's Attorney General Pam Bondi is pushing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to grant the federal government access to the state's voter rolls and public assistance data, touting it as a means to "bring back law and order" in Minneapolis following a second shooting by federal immigration agents.
In a three-page letter obtained by CBS News, Bondi urged the state of Minnesota to scrap all "sanctuary" policies and cooperate fully with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including providing access to local jails and honoring requests from federal agents to detain people.
Bondi claimed that Minnesota officials have been engaging in "anti-law enforcement rhetoric" and putting federal agents in danger. However, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon rejected Bondi's request, saying it was an attempt to coerce the state into giving private data on millions of US citizens in violation of state and federal law.
The Trump administration has been pressing for greater access to Minnesota jails and prisons, suggesting that rolling back immigration operations in the state could be at stake if it had more power to go into detention facilities. State corrections officials claim they already cooperate with ICE, but cooperation varies by county.
Bondi demanded that the state share records on Medicaid and food stamps so the federal government can investigate fraud. However, Simon noted that this request is the subject of active litigation with his office.
The governor's office responded to Bondi's letter by urging the Trump administration to engage in a serious conversation about ending the federal occupation of Minnesota. Walz's office sharply criticized the conduct of federal immigration agents involved in Saturday's fatal shooting and another incident earlier this month.
Bondi's push for cooperation has been met with opposition from Simon, who sees it as an attempt to infringe on the state's rights and compromise its election systems.
In a three-page letter obtained by CBS News, Bondi urged the state of Minnesota to scrap all "sanctuary" policies and cooperate fully with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including providing access to local jails and honoring requests from federal agents to detain people.
Bondi claimed that Minnesota officials have been engaging in "anti-law enforcement rhetoric" and putting federal agents in danger. However, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon rejected Bondi's request, saying it was an attempt to coerce the state into giving private data on millions of US citizens in violation of state and federal law.
The Trump administration has been pressing for greater access to Minnesota jails and prisons, suggesting that rolling back immigration operations in the state could be at stake if it had more power to go into detention facilities. State corrections officials claim they already cooperate with ICE, but cooperation varies by county.
Bondi demanded that the state share records on Medicaid and food stamps so the federal government can investigate fraud. However, Simon noted that this request is the subject of active litigation with his office.
The governor's office responded to Bondi's letter by urging the Trump administration to engage in a serious conversation about ending the federal occupation of Minnesota. Walz's office sharply criticized the conduct of federal immigration agents involved in Saturday's fatal shooting and another incident earlier this month.
Bondi's push for cooperation has been met with opposition from Simon, who sees it as an attempt to infringe on the state's rights and compromise its election systems.
i mean idc about the sanctuary policies but she just went straight for the jugular and demanded that minnesota hand over their citizens personal info without even batting an eyelid 
meanwhile bondi is all "but u gotta do this or else" 
its so extra
!!! she's trying to get tim walz to hand over all this sensitive info to the feds, claiming it'll bring back law and order in minneapolis. but really, it just sounds like she's trying to get in good with trump and get some more power for florida 
. i mean, who needs sanctuaries when you can just let the feds do their thing? 
also, isn't it suspicious that bondi is pushing this agenda after the recent shooting by federal immigration agents? 
seems like she's trying to spin a narrative to get more control over minnesota's data. state of emergency much? 
.
. But seriously, folks, let's not lose sight of what's truly important here: protecting our rights and our people 
.
I mean, I get that public safety is important, but do we really need to give the feds unrestricted access to our voter rolls and social services data? 
And what about the fact that Minnesota officials are already cooperating with ICE in some ways? Do we need to go full-on "sanctuary city" mode just because some politicians want to make a point? 
florida is basically trying to bully minnesota into sharing their personal info which is literally none of the feds business 
meanwhile minnesota is standing up for themselves and their values and that's something to cheer about 
let's keep supporting these brave governors who are fighting for what's right! 
. And what's with the threat of rolling back immigration operations if they don't comply? That's just some serious leverage, dude 
. The fact that she's even suggesting we scrap our sanctuary policies is just plain scary 
. Can't we all just get along? 
It's just more of those "law and order" folks trying to control everything, you know? And Pam Bondi is leading the charge... not exactly the most trustworthy gal if you ask me 
. The state has every right to protect its own interests and not let the feds bully them into doing their bidding. Minnesota's making a smart move by pushing back, imo 
... like, what's the next thing they're gonna ask for? Access to our personal info and records? It's always something with these politicians... Pam Bondi just wants an excuse to further harass immigrant communities in Minneapolis, and now she's trying to bully Tim Walz into giving her what she wants. And Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is right to push back - what's next? The feds are gonna start snooping around our kids' records too?