Pam Bondi’s letter just exposed the ugly truth behind why Trump sent ICE into Minneapolis, and Chris Murphy isn’t holding back
In the wake of yet another fatal federal shooting in Minneapolis, Senator Chris Murphy pulled back the curtain on what is really driving the Trump administration’s ICE escalation. Guess what? It has nothing to do with public safety. They apparently want to commit voter fraud.
The controversy stems from a Jan. 24 letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. In the letter read by Murphy, Bondi demanded unprecedented access to state voter rolls and databases from Walz. Why? As a condition for reducing ICE presence in Minneapolis. So, enforcement of ICE was never about law and order; it was about election interference.
The Connecticut senator took to X on Jan. 25 to warn that Bondi’s demands are not standard policing procedures. Demanding access to voter registration lists is a politically motivated bid to gain leverage over state election systems ahead of the 2026 elections. “This has never been about public safety,” Murphy declared, accusing the administration of attempting to “rig and steal the election.”
What Bondi’s letter actually said
Bondi’s letter was ostensibly a response to the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Federal officials defended the shooting as self-defense, but bystander footage and witness accounts contradict this narrative.
The videos show that Pretti was helping a woman when he was shot after being pinned to the ground. But instead of focusing on de-escalation or reviewing the deadly incident, Bondi’s letter went beyond policing. She is asking Governor Tim Walz to provide access to unredacted voter registration rolls.
Her demands also included Medicaid and welfare recipient data, and repealing of local “sanctuary” policies. The demands are beyond unconstitutional. Voter rolls contain personally identifiable information like names, addresses, and other details. These are not typically shared broadly with federal law enforcement.
Voter fraud disguised as enforcement
Murphy didn’t simply challenge Bondi’s legal reasoning; he demanded a clear motive. The senator argued that tying ICE withdrawal to voter roll access amounts to political blackmail. This could be used to influence future elections in key swing states like Minnesota. “If you don’t hand over control of the voter rolls, then ICE isn’t leaving,” the letter said.
The Trump administration is clearly using federal power to exert leverage on state governments in politically consequential regions. Murphy’s comments are part of a wider national backlash to the murder in Minneapolis. Protesters and civil-rights groups have mobilized nationwide, decrying the military-style presence of ICE and Border Patrol agents in streets.
Governors and mayors also describe the federal deployment as a “federal occupation” rather than a public safety mission. Even families of victims like Alex Pretti are calling for investigations and accountability, rejecting claims that Pretti posed a threat. At this moment, Murphy’s message is unmistakably political. ICE is being weaponized not just as a policing arm but as leverage against local democracy. And efforts to withhold enforcement until sensitive voter data is surrendered is a smack of authoritarian overreach.
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