Hours after a US Border Patrol officer shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz suggesting that the onslaught of federal law enforcement officials in the state might be reduced or removed if he would hand over certain records.
According to news reports, Bondi’s letter specified:
*Walz’s office must share state records on Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Service programs, including SNAP, with the federal government.
*Repeal sanctuary policies that have led to crime in Minnesota. All state corrections facilities must cooperate with ICE, honor immigration detainers and permit ICE to interview detainees in custody to determine immigration status.
*Allow the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to access Minnesota’s voter rolls to confirm the state’s voter registration policies comply with federal law.
The demand for voter rolls set off an alarm bell with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who expressed his concerns Saturday evening.
“Pam Bondi just sent a letter to Minnesota officials saying ICE will leave if the state turns over its voter database to Trump,” he noted on social media. “Guess what? This has never been about safety or immigration. It’s a pretext for Trump to take over elections in swing states.”
Murphy’s comments sparked an online debate that continues to rage.
A quick history lesson: Before he took complete control of Germany, Adolf Hitler banned all political parties except the National Socialist party which he headed. That was part of the Enabling Act, and within months after it passed, Germany had become a dictatorship.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
