AG Kaul, Multistate Coalition Condemn U.S. Doj Threats Against Minnesota
MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in denouncing the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) attempt to coerce the State of Minnesota. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the coalition condemned the Trump administration’s effort to exploit the situation in Minnesota to pressure state leaders into turning over sensitive resident data and dismantling longstanding public safety policies. The attorneys general warn that these threats likely conflict with ongoing litigation and court-ordered protections.
“It’s totally unacceptable for the federal government to use the deployment of federal agents to try to extract these concessions,” said AG Kaul. “Minnesota is a State in the Union. It shouldn’t be treated as a ‘theater’ for an occupying force from the federal government.”
AG Kaul and the coalition are sending today’s letter in response to Attorney General Bondi’s January 24 letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, which demanded a series of actions in exchange for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota. The demands included requests that Minnesota turn over sensitive Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data, dismantle local public safety policies, and grant the federal government access to Minnesota voter information.
The attorneys general warn that Attorney General Bondi’s letter threatens the constitutional balance of power between the states and the federal government. They assert that the demands intrude on state sovereignty and are intended to coerce the State of Minnesota. With so many of DOJ’s actions already blocked by courts across the country, the attorneys general argue that the administration is attempting to force an outcome at odds with related developments in pending court cases.
AG Kaul 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 urges the administration to end its dangerous and unlawful campaign against Minnesota immediately and stand down its alarming demands.
Joining AG Kaul in sending this letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
View the letter here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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