Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined 21 other attorneys general in criticizing the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent actions toward Minnesota. In a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the coalition condemned what they describe as federal efforts to pressure Minnesota into providing sensitive resident data and changing established state policies.
“The Trump administration has already been told by the courts that it cannot run an unlawful mass-surveillance operation on the American people,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Now, instead of abiding by the rule of law, it is attempting to strong-arm Minnesota into handing over sensitive and personal data without a valid purpose, any barriers or protections. If the administration is allowed to ignore court orders here, there is nothing to stop them from targeting the next state they see as an adversary. I will continue to call this out, demand accountability from this administration, and fight their attempts to illegally collect and exploit the private information of the people they serve.”
The coalition’s letter was sent after Attorney General Bondi wrote to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on January 24. Bondi’s letter accused Minnesota of enabling fraud and requested several actions in exchange for withdrawing federal agents from the state. The demands included access to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data, changes to local public policies, and access to voter information.
The attorneys general argue that these requests threaten state sovereignty and could undermine constitutional checks on federal power. They also note that similar DOJ actions have previously been blocked by courts across the country.
Attorney General Nessel and her colleagues stated their intention to resist what they view as unlawful federal interference with state governance. The group called on the administration to end its campaign against Minnesota.
Other states represented in signing the letter include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Dana Nessel serves as Michigan’s 54th attorney general according to official sources. The Michigan Department of Attorney General acts as the chief legal office for Michigan residents with authority statewide. It manages consumer complaints and provides alerts about scams while supporting crime victims through various initiatives such as those addressing human trafficking (source). The department also played a role in drafting legislation like the Clean Slate law in 2019 aimed at expungement opportunities for residents (source).
