James Leads 21 AGs Against DOJ’s Minnesota Bullying

NEW YORK – The Department of Justice is playing hardball in Minnesota, and a coalition of 22 state Attorneys General, led by New York’s Letitia James, are calling foul. The DOJ, under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, is accused of leveraging heavy-handed tactics to force Minnesota into handing over sensitive resident data and gutting local public safety measures. This isn’t law enforcement; it’s a power play, and the AGs aren’t backing down.

The fight ignited after Bondi penned a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on January 24th, leveling accusations of widespread fraud – accusations, sources say, unsupported by concrete evidence. The timing is particularly galling, coming just days after federal immigration agents fatally shot a Minneapolis resident for the *second* time in as many weeks. Bondi’s letter wasn’t a request; it was a demand – a series of drastic actions in exchange for pulling federal agents off the streets. It reeks of intimidation, and James and her colleagues see it for what it is.

“The federal government is asking us to accept a belated justification for its unlawful actions in Minnesota,” James stated bluntly. “We refuse to be intimidated by these threats, and we reject their unlawful demands that infringe on Minnesota’s fundamental sovereignty.” The coalition’s response, delivered in a scathing letter, details the DOJ’s overreach. Bondi’s demands include access to sensitive Medicaid and SNAP data, dismantling local public safety policies, and handing over Minnesota voter information – a blatant violation of state sovereignty and a chilling overstep of federal authority.

This isn’t just about data. The AGs argue that the DOJ’s actions represent a dangerous escalation, threatening the constitutional balance of power between states and the federal government. They accuse Bondi of attempting to “terrify the people of Minnesota and coerce the state into abandoning” its citizens. With courts already blocking numerous DOJ actions across the country, the administration appears to be resorting to brute force, attempting to achieve through intimidation what it can’t win in a courtroom. It’s a pattern of disregard for the rule of law, and these AGs are drawing a line in the sand.

The coalition’s letter doesn’t mince words, condemning the administration’s “dangerous and escalating assault on Minnesota.” They stand firm in their support for the state and its residents, rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to “ignore the unlawful acts that our eyes clearly see and accept pretextual justifications or outright fabrications instead.” The message is clear: states and their residents will not be subjected to violence and terror at the hands of federal law enforcement. While other states focus on protecting their citizens, the deployment of federal agents to Minnesota has only fostered fear, chaos, and bloodshed.

Attorney General James and her fellow AGs pledge to continue defending state sovereignty and the rights of their residents. They urge the DOJ to reconsider its tactics and respect the constitutional boundaries of federal power. This isn’t just a fight for Minnesota; it’s a fight for the future of federalism, and a warning that unchecked federal overreach will not be tolerated. The coalition makes it unequivocally clear: they will continue to stand firm against unlawful federal interference.

RELATED: Crypto Exchange Owner Faces Charges: AML Failures Exposed