U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz following the death of another American citizen in Minneapolis, urging the state to turn over sensitive records to the Trump administration and arguing that doing so could help prevent what she called a further “national tragedy.”
In the letter, dated Saturday, Jan. 24, Bondi ties the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — both carried out by federal immigration officers under the Department of Homeland Security led by Kristi Noem — to Minnesota’s approach to immigration enforcement.
“The State of Minnesota has refused to enforce the law, and the consequences are heartbreaking,” Bondi writes, asserting that state and local leaders have left federal officers to operate without local support while also “putting federal agents in danger” through public criticism of DHS actions.
Bondi describes anti-ICE demonstrations as “riots,” claiming ICE and Border Patrol agents are facing widespread “lawlessness in the streets.” She does not address recent videos and reports alleging federal agents escalated confrontations and used force both during protests and immigration arrests.
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Bondi’s three demands
Bondi lays out three actions she says would “bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota”:
- Provide state records for everyone collecting welfare benefits
- Repeal Minnesota sanctuary policies
- Grant the Justice Department access to Minnesota’s voter rolls ahead of upcoming elections
“The time has come for state and local officials in your state to change course,” she writes, adding that Minnesota “can and should be a partner with this administration.”
Walz pushes back publicly
Walz has rejected the Trump administration’s calls for deeper cooperation. After Pretti was killed Saturday morning, Walz posted on X that Minnesota had “had it,” calling the situation “sickening,” and demanding that the President end the operation and pull federal officers out of the state.
Pretti, 37, an intensive care unit nurse who previously worked at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, was accused by DHS of interfering with an immigration arrest and approaching agents with a handgun. Senior DHS official Gregory Bovino alleged Pretti intended to cause “maximum damage” and claimed he “violently resisted” as agents tried to disarm him, prompting officers to fire what Bovino called “defensive shots.”
But video of the incident — captured from multiple angles — appeared to undercut parts of the government’s account. A New York Times analysis said Pretti was standing in the street with other protesters, holding a phone in one hand and nothing visible in the other, when an agent sprayed the group with pepper spray. Agents then moved toward Pretti, who did not appear to draw or hold a weapon, and pinned him on the sidewalk.
Minneapolis police said Pretti was a lawful gun owner. Footage appeared to show a firearm at his waist had already been removed by an agent before he was shot in the back. Pretti was hit at least 10 times in roughly five seconds.
“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” Pretti’s parents said in a statement Saturday. They accused the administration of spreading “sickening lies” about their son and condemned federal agents involved in the shooting.
After Bondi’s letter became public, Walz reiterated his stance that federal enforcement actions are worsening the crisis rather than improving safety.
“They think they can provoke us into abandoning our values. They are wrong,” he wrote on X. “We will keep the peace. We will secure justice for our neighbors. And we will see this occupation end.”
On Sunday morning, Walz released another statement emphasizing Minnesota’s authority to govern itself and again demanded that Trump pull federal agents from the state, warning more people could die if the operation continues.
Pam Bondi’s letter to Tim Walz (full text)
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
