Pam Bondi Encourages Tim Walz to Share Minnesota’s Voter Rolls to Help Prevent Future Issues: Read Her Complete Letter
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a letter of demands to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after Border Patrol fatally shot a U.S. citizen on Jan. 24, 2026.
Credit:
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- AG Pam Bondi wrote a letter of demands to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz that she said can “bring an end to the chaos” following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24.
- In her letter, Bondi urged Walz to work with the Trump administration by providing a list of Minnesotans receiving welfare benefits, ending the state’s sanctuary policies, and granting the DOJ access to Minnesota’s voter rolls.
- After the letter was released, Walz responded on X, stating, “They think they can provoke us into abandoning our values. They are wrong.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi addressed Governor Tim Walz in a letter following the death of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. In her communication, Bondi urged Walz to share sensitive data with the Trump administration to prevent further “national tragedy.”
The letter, dated Jan. 24, highlights the recent shootings of Pretti and another individual, Renee Good, attributing these events to the state leadership under Walz. Bondi began the letter stating, “The State of Minnesota has refused to enforce the law, and the consequences are heartbreaking.” She justified the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) actions in Minnesota and accused state officials of endangering federal agents by voicing dissent and failing to cooperate.
In the letter, Bondi referred to anti-ICE protests as “rioters,” implying that federal agents are victims of increased lawlessness that demands local government cooperation. She did not acknowledge evidence suggesting federal agents have instigated violence during interactions with protesters.
Bondi outlined three specific demands: 1) share welfare recipient records with the federal government, 2) repeal sanctuary policies, and 3) permit DOJ access to Minnesota’s voter rolls for upcoming elections. She emphasized the necessity for local officials to alter their approach in light of the escalating violence in Minnesota.
Mourners gather on Jan. 25 at a makeshift memorial where Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal agents the day prior.
Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty
Governor Walz has thus far rejected the Trump administration’s demands for cooperation. He condemned the shooting of Pretti, stating that it was “sickening” and called for the withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota. Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was accused by DHS of resisting arrest and brandishing a firearm during the incident. However, footage of the encounter has raised questions about the DHS’s account of events.
In the wake of the shooting, Pretti’s family expressed their outrage at the portrayal of their son, emphasizing that he was not holding a weapon at the time he was shot. Following the release of Bondi’s letter, Walz reiterated his stance that federal agents are causing more harm than good, insisting that Minnesota values must be upheld against provocative federal demands.
In response to Bondi’s communication, he affirmed Minnesota’s commitment to self-governance and called for an end to what he referred to as an occupation by untrained officers. This ongoing conflict highlights deep divisions between state leadership and federal authorities regarding immigration enforcement and public safety.
Read Pam Bondi’s full letter to Tim Walz:
Governor Walz,
The State of Minnesota has refused to enforce the law, and the consequences are heartbreaking.
Americans are watching politicians ignore federal immigration law, criminals attack federal law enforcement, and rioters storm church services. I write to urge a change.
In December 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched Operation Metro Surge to protect Americans from the dangers presented by unchecked illegal immigration, including violent crime and drug trafficking. Since the beginning of this operation, law enforcement has put themselves in harm’s way to arrest dangerous criminals, including members of notorious, violent gangs. Criminal illegal aliens convicted of homicide, drug trafficking, sexual assault against a child, rape with a weapon, and other horrific crimes are now off the streets because of Operation Metro Surge.
Unfortunately, you and other Minnesota officials have refused to support the men and women risking their lives to protect Americans and uphold the rule of law. Because Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have chosen to ignore federal immigration law by enacting sanctuary laws and policies, the federal agents led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have operated alone. And politicians in your state are not just refusing to help these agents, they are putting federal agents in danger.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “ICE: Get the f*** out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here.” You referred to our law enforcement as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.” Minneapolis City Council Member Aisha Chughtai stated that the city “must be ready to act as the last line of defense for targeted communities.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has previously compared ICE enforcement to being “under attack by the Nazis.”
The results of your state’s policies and politicians’ anti-law enforcement rhetoric are a national tragedy. Violence against ICE officers and agents has increased approximately 1,300 percent. Vehicular attacks against ICE officers have increased 3,200%. Perhaps most disappointing, the lawlessness caused by these policies has bled into sacred spaces of worship. Parishioners were met by an anti-ICE mob last weekend, as several dozen individuals stormed Cities Church in Minneapolis to interrupt worship services and scream in the faces of frightened Christians and their families. The violence against our officers and the violations of religious liberties cannot be allowed to continue.
The lawlessness in the streets is matched by the unprecedented financial fraud occurring on your watch. And the out-of-control fraud in your state also implicates election security. It is a tragedy that Americans have lost faith in Minnesota’s ability to keep its taxpayers’ funds secure and its citizens’ [sic] safe.
You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota. Fortunately, there are common-sense solutions to these problems that I hope we can accomplish together.
First, share all of Minnesota’s records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program data, with the federal government. Allowing the federal government to efficiently investigate fraud will save Minnesota taxpayers’ money and ensure that Minnesota’s welfare funds are being used to help those in need, not enrich fraudsters.
Second, repeal the sanctuary policies that have led to so much crime and violence in your state. Removing criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota neighborhoods will save lives, and state and local officials should support this goal. All detention facilities in your state should cooperate fully with ICE, honor immigration detainers, and permit ICE to interview detainees in custody to determine immigration status. I urge you to reach an agreement with ICE that allows them to remove illegal aliens in custody of Minnesota’s prisons and jails and avoids pushing these interactions into your streets.
Third, allow the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to access voter rolls to confirm that Minnesota’s voter registration practices comply with federal law as authorized by the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Fulfilling this common-sense request will better guarantee free and fair elections and boost confidence in the rule of law.
I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans.
The time has come for state and local officials in your state to change course. As the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, I am committed to enforcing federal immigration laws and keeping every American safe. Minnesota can and should be a partner with this administration. Do not obstruct federal immigration enforcement; do not allow rioters to take over the streets and houses of worship; do not hinder federal officials from investigating financial fraud and violations of election laws. Whether state and local politicians stand in the way or not, we will work every day to protect Americans and make Minnesota Safe Again. I request that you join us in that effort.
Sincerely,
Pamela Bondi
Attorney General
