CT Joins 21 States Denouncing Justice Dept. ‘Occupation’ Of Minnesota

by Donald Eng

HARTFORD, CT — Attorney General William Tong has joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general in denouncing the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) latest 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.  

“The Trump Administration killed and smeared innocent American citizens and is continuing to terrorize Minnesota,” Tong said. “Their reckless occupation is not immigration enforcement, and Bondi’s invasive demands have no basis in legitimate law enforcement work.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s media contact responded to a request for comment with an email asking for more specific information, which CTNewsJunkie provided. This story will be updated if the department responds.

Tong and the coalition sent their letter in response to Bondi’s January 24 letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, which accused the state of enabling widespread fraud and 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 critical local public safety policies, and grant the federal government access to Minnesota voter information.

The attorneys general warn that 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 that it could not achieve through the courts.

Tong and the coalition said their states will continue to stand firm against what they called unlawful federal interference and would 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. 

The letter was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and endorsed by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.