Why Donald Trump Is Coming Minnesota for Voter Rolls — And Why The State Isn’t Budging

President Donald Trump’s administration says it wants voter rolls for one big reason: federal oversight of elections and so-called “clean” voter lists. But the real fight is not over the public voter registration lists that campaigns and researchers already buy. The dispute is about unredacted data, which can include driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers — information many states classify as protected.

Attorney General Pam Bondi tied that voter-data push to the administration’s escalating conflict with Minnesota state and local leaders after deadly encounters involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.

The Justice Department says federal law gives the attorney general authority to demand statewide voter registration lists to ensure states properly run voter registration and list-maintenance programs. In a DOJ press release, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon framed the lawsuits as a move to guarantee “accurate voter lists.”

“Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly,” Harmeet said. “States that continue to defy federal voting laws interfere with our mission of ensuring that Americans have accurate voter lists as they go to the polls, that every vote counts equally, and that all voters have confidence in election results. At this Department of Justice, we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws.”

After tensions spiked in Minneapolis following a fatal shooting during a federal immigration enforcement operation, Bondi echoed that stance in a letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In the letter obtained by CBS News, Bondi called on Minnesota to turn over its state voter rolls — specifically unredacted voter registration data — so federal officials can “confirm that Minnesota’s voter registration practices comply with federal law.”

"I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans," Pam wrote. She also pressed the state to share public assistance records, including Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) files, giving the feds broad access to information on residents who receive government benefits.

Minnesota’s political fallout is unfolding amid two fatal shootings involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month. One of the victims was Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse. An earlier incident killed Renee Good.

Minneapolis leaders have responded bluntly to the surge in federal immigration enforcement and the deadly encounters. “There have been three homicides in Minneapolis, and two of them have been perpetrated by ICE,” city council member Aisha Chughtai said, per The Guardian. “The number one deadly killer of Minneapolitans right now is ICE.”

Nearby cities have also weighed in, pushing for calm but insisting on accountability. Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse described the shooting as “another fatal shooting … involving federal law enforcement,” and called on leaders at all levels to “de-escalate” tensions rather than intensify conflict.

“As voices across the community and national leadership have emphasized in recent days, now is the moment to reduce the temperature of rhetoric and tactics and pursue a constructive, coordinated approach that prioritizes safety, transparency, and trust,” Tim said.