Bondi threatens legal sanctions on Minnesota officials for challenging ICE deployment

Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday threatened legal sanctions against Minnesota officials for challenging the deployment of federal immigration officers to the state. 

In the letter, obtained exclusively by Just the News, the top Justice Department official accused state Attorney General Keith Ellison of filing “legally groundless motions” that Bondi says violate the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

“If you do not withdraw that motion, the United States reserves the right to take appropriate action, including sanctions or other disciplinary action,” Bondi wrote. 

The State of Minnesota sued the Trump administration earlier this month, attempting to block the deployment of immigration officers, including ICE and Border Patrol agents, likening their operations there to an unconstitutional “federal invasion.” The lawsuit requests that the court issue a temporary restraining order declaring the deployment illegal. 

Bondi argues that the lawsuit is both legally unsupported and violates Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires that attorneys certify that motions in court are well-grounded in both facts and law and not frivolous.

“You are…free-in the political arena-to offer the American people whatever excuses you can muster for your decision to shelter criminal illegal aliens while interfering with federal officers who are bravely and lawfully protecting citizens from the worst-of-the-worst fraudsters and violent criminals,” Bondi wrote. “What you cannot do, however, is file legally groundless motions, wasting taxpayer funds and the resources of both the Department of Justice and the federal courts.”

She continued, “The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and state bar disciplinary rules forbid that abuse of process.” 

In the attorney general’s view, Minnesota’s lawsuit rests “entirely on” incorrect interpretations of “the Tenth Amendment and related notions of state sovereignty.” But, in reality, Bondi says legal history shows that “federal law is supreme” and “no State has the right to block or obstruct it.” 

“It really is that simple. In the past, state officials armed with angry mobs have failed in their attempts to subvert federal law. President Trump and I will ensure that federal law is enforced in Minnesota, just as it is and will be enforced in every other state,” Bondi added. 

You can read the U.S. Attorney General’s letter below: 

Since the start of this year, Minnesota has become a flashpoint in the Trump administration's effort to remove illegal migrants living in the U.S. Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot a Minneapolis motorist, Renee Good, who, federal authorities say, tried to disrupt operations and hit an agent with her vehicle. 

Additionally, the administration is also investigating alleged fraud in the state’s federally-backed benefits programs. Several individuals charged and convicted in the scheme belong to the Minneapolis Somali community, prompting the Trump administration to review the immigration statuses of those residents in particular.