Federal Demands for Minnesota Data Rejected Amidst Broader Legal Battles
The U.S. Justice Department, spearheaded by Attorney General Pam Bondi, formally requested that Minnesota provide federal access to its voter registration records and public assistance data. The department also urged the state to alter its immigration enforcement policies. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Secretary of State Steve Simon unequivocally rejected these demands, citing state and federal privacy laws and ongoing litigation. These requests from the Justice Department align with broader federal efforts to obtain similar data from multiple states, which have consistently faced legal challenges and varying degrees of state compliance, especially amidst heightened federal immigration enforcement actions.
Justice Department Demands and State Rejection
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi formally requested that Minnesota provide federal access to the state's voter registration records and public assistance data. The request, conveyed in a letter to Governor Tim Walz, also urged Minnesota to eliminate "sanctuary" policies and increase cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This cooperation, as outlined by Bondi, would include providing ICE agents with access to local jails and honoring requests to detain individuals. Bondi stated these measures were intended to:
"help bring back law and order to Minnesota" and address alleged "anti-law enforcement rhetoric."
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon rejected the demand for voter data, citing state and federal privacy laws. Simon noted that the Justice Department (DOJ) had previously made unsuccessful attempts to secure the same information.
Governor Walz's office also responded, criticizing the conduct of federal immigration agents and referencing two shooting incidents involving federal officers in the state, which resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. State corrections officials stated there was existing cooperation with ICE, with variations at the county level.
Administration's Rationale for Data Requests
The administration stated that it requires full voter registration records to assist states in "cleaning" their voter rolls of ineligible voters, enforce federal election laws, and ensure accurate rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters.
The Justice Department also requested records related to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), stating a need to "efficiently investigate fraud." This aligns with the administration's stated focus on alleged fraud within Minnesota's public assistance programs and broader allegations of fraud, particularly among immigrants of Somali descent.
Legal Challenges to Voter Data Demands
The Justice Department's campaign to gather full voter rolls, which may include non-public information such as Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, full birth dates, and current addresses, has extended to Minnesota and 23 other states. The department asserts its entitlement to registration records under the 1960 Civil Rights Act.
However, federal courts have not upheld this argument. A federal judge in California dismissed the department's voter-roll lawsuit against the state, criticizing what was described as:
"unbridled consolidation of all elections power in the Executive without action from Congress and public debate."
Judges in Oregon and Georgia also dismissed similar cases, finding the DOJ's legal arguments insufficient. As of the request, only 14 states have fully complied or are in the process of complying with the department's demands for voter data.
Most lawsuits have targeted Democratic state officials, and some Republican-led states have also declined to provide voter rolls. The Justice Department's demands for voter data were primarily directed at states that then-President Trump lost in the 2020 election.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has warned 10 states about potential legal issues if they agree to proposed agreements for federal scrutiny of their voter rolls. The DNC argues that the process could conflict with federal laws governing voter removal procedures, particularly for voters believed to have moved. Voter advocates have also filed lawsuits, such as one against Nebraska, to prevent states from sharing personal voter information with the DOJ.
Public Assistance Data Requests Face Resistance
In addition to voter data, Attorney General Bondi requested Minnesota share all records related to Medicaid and food assistance programs, including SNAP. Minnesota is one of over 20 states that has not complied with a U.S. Department of Agriculture demand to provide personal information of SNAP benefit applicants or recipients from the past six years, arguing the demand is unlawful. A federal judge in California has indicated these states are likely to succeed in this claim.
Separately, Minnesota was among 22 states that sued to prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from sharing sensitive Medicaid data with the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement. In December, a federal judge in California permitted limited data sharing, including addresses and immigration status, to proceed.
Immigration Enforcement Linkages
The request to Minnesota occurred amidst ongoing tensions related to federal immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Bondi's letter did not explicitly link voter records to a change in immigration approach but emphasized the need to "bring back law and order."
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that the Justice Department possesses "full authority" to ensure states comply with federal election laws.
Minnesota Secretary of State Simon characterized Bondi's letter as "deeply disturbing" and compared it to a "ransom note," following recent incidents involving federal agents. A district judge overseeing a separate challenge to the administration's immigration tactics raised concerns about Bondi's demand potentially being linked to the unrest, questioning if the executive branch was attempting to achieve a goal through force that it could not achieve through the courts.
A DOJ attorney responded in court that the administration was "trying to enforce federal law."
The Trump administration had previously sought increased access to Minnesota jails and prisons, suggesting that immigration operations in the state might be scaled back if more authority to enter detention facilities was granted.
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) System
The administration's increased involvement in list maintenance coincides with scrutiny of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) system, a voluntary tool that states have been encouraged to use for purging voter rolls.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) division updated the SAVE tool, which historically verified immigration and citizenship status for government benefit applicants. The expanded tool now includes access to Social Security and U.S. passport data. The Trump administration has encouraged states to upload voter files to the enhanced SAVE system to identify potential non-citizens on their voter rolls.
Questions persist regarding the accuracy of the system's results and the potential impact on eligible voters if state and local officials do not thoroughly vet the matches generated.
- In Texas, after running over 18 million voters through the SAVE system, 2,724 potential non-citizens were identified. However, a detailed review in Travis County found that 11 of 97 voters initially flagged had already provided proof of citizenship when registering.
- In another Texas county, at least 15 out of 84 flagged voters were later determined to be false positives.
Despite millions of records processed, no evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged through this system. The federal government's intended use and secure storage of the collected data remain unclear.