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Welcome to The Logoff: Minnesota’s secretary of state stated over the weekend that the Trump administration is making an attempt to “ransom” Minneapolis’s freedom from an more and more violent federal presence.
What’s occurring? In a Saturday letter to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi wrote that there have been “frequent sense options” to “carry an finish to the chaos in Minnesota”: share Minnesota’s voter rolls and Medicaid and meals help information with the Trump administration and repeal “sanctuary insurance policies” in Minnesota.
Bondi tied the calls for to what she described as “uncontrolled fraud” in Minnesota — a reference to a sweeping, years-old welfare fraud scandal within the state that additionally precipitated the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis that started in early January. Vice President JD Vance has additionally stated the administration desires to make use of Medicaid and SNAP information for immigration enforcement.
What’s the context? Federal immigration brokers killed a second US citizen in Minneapolis on Saturday, capturing 37-year-old Alex Pretti a number of instances after beating him and forcing him to his knees. Pretti’s dying has pushed tensions within the metropolis even larger, after weeks of out-of-control conduct by federal brokers.
Why does this matter? Tying a request for voter information to the Trump administration’s Minneapolis crackdown is an alarming step from the DOJ, which has beforehand sued Minnesota and different states to acquire their voter rolls. The quid-pro-quo behind Bondi’s request would signify a brand new degree of politicization for the division, with potential penalties for the midterm elections.
“Although I’m not essentially predicting direct federal interference with elections, I’m planning for it,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon informed the New York Instances.
What’s the large image? Bondi’s letter may create issues for the Trump administration in federal district courtroom, the place its continued presence in Minnesota is at present being litigated. On Monday, Decide Kate Menendez requested whether or not the administration is likely to be “making an attempt to attain a aim via power that it could actually’t obtain via the courts.”
And with that, it’s time to sign off…
Relying on the place you might be proper now, the probabilities are good you’re at present blanketed beneath many inches of snow (or “cement-like” snow and ice, when you’re within the Washington, DC, space). In observance of that truth, right here’s a present hyperlink for a fantastic story from the Vox archives on why snow days are good for youths. Thanks for studying, keep heat, and we’ll see you again right here tomorrow!
