ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL CONDEMNS DOJ THREATS AGAINST MINNESOTA

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL CONDEMNS DOJ THREATS AGAINST MINNESOTA

January 29, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today denounced the Department of Justice's (DOJ) latest attempt to coerce the state of Minnesota. Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 other attorneys general, submitted a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, condemning the Trump administration's effort to use the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minnesota to pressure state leaders into turning over sensitive resident data and dismantling longstanding public safety policies. Raoul and the attorneys general warn that these threats conflict with ongoing litigation and court-ordered protections.

"The violence being brought upon people of Minnesota by federal CBP and ICE agents is the result of the president's obsession with trying to force states to comply with his policies and seeking retribution against his perceived political enemies," Raoul said. "I will stand with Minnesota and strongly denounce efforts by this administration to extort states and threaten their sovereignty."

Attorney General Raoul and the coalition sent today's letter in response to Attorney General Bondi's Jan. 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 critical local public safety policies, and grant the federal government access to Minnesota voters' 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 the 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.

Raoul 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 on its alarming demands.

On Jan. 12, Raoul filed a lawsuit against DHS and Trump administration officials over the unlawful and dangerous tactics used by CBP and ICE agents in Illinois. Raoul's lawsuit details the various ways the Trump administration has attempted to coerce Illinois over policy differences, including by unlawfully withholding federal funds and attempting to deploy the Illinois and Texas National Guards in the state. In September 2025, DHS deployed quasi-military personnel from CBP and ICE to Illinois, initiating a campaign of violent terror targeted at the state and its residents that involved the fatal shooting of an Illinois resident.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in sending today's letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.