Richmond, Va – Attorney General Jay Jones today 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.
“Virginia honors our highly skilled law enforcement agencies that protect our communities and uphold the Constitution,” said Attorney General Jones. “We are deeply concerned about the tactics and strategies employed by the federal government in other states that have cost lives and put others at risk in the name of immigration enforcement. Local law enforcement officials work for decades to build trust and uplift the communities they serve. The continued use of these tactics threatens to undo years of diligent community policing and trust building within all our communities, not just Minnesota. This continued chaotic, aggressive federal overreach requires a united response from all of us charged with keeping our communities safe and our rights protected.”
Attorney General Jones and the coalition sent today’s letter in response to Attorney General 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 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 that it could not achieve through the courts.
Attorney General Jones 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 Attorney General Jones in sending this letter, which was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
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