DOJ torches Democrats for 'shamelessly lying' about Minnesota voter roll request

Bondi's letter came as unrest has plagued the state, spurred by an immigration crackdown there and multiple destructive and violent incidents, including two incidents involving immigration officials shooting and killing two U.S. citizens during chaotic, heated altercations.

"You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota," Bondi wrote. "Fortunately, there are common sense solutions to these problems that I hope we can accomplish together."

Bondi made three requests, which she said would improve cooperation between Walz and the DOJ and "help bring back law and order."

Democrats framed her letter as a nefarious bargain designed to affect the battleground state's elections.

One of Bondi's requests was that Minnesota state officials give the DOJ Civil Rights Division access to voter registration lists. Basic voter registration lists, also known as voter rolls, are typically publicly accessible, but the DOJ has demanded from Minnesota and many other states a wealth of sensitive data associated with the voter rolls that Minnesota has resisted giving up. Disputes over voter rolls between states and the federal government are now the subject of lawsuits across the country.

Murphy said the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota was a "pretext for Trump to take over elections in swing states."

The DOJ vehemently rejected those characterizations.

"These politicians are shamelessly lying. This is what happens when you're on the side of criminal illegal aliens," the department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

In a federal court hearing Monday over ICE's broader operations, Lindsey Middlecamp, a lawyer for Minnesota, argued to a judge that Bondi's letter sounded like a coercive "ransom note."

Bondi's third demand was that Minnesota leadership end its so-called sanctuary policies, which many blue states and cities have in place. The policies typically prevent local law enforcement from notifying federal law enforcement about anyone who has been detained in the state who has a questionable immigration status.

"I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans," Bondi wrote.