Tim Walz Fires Back at AG Pam Bondi's Warning Letter After Second Fatal ICE Shooting — 'Go Ahead and Work On The Epstein Files'
Tim Walz told Pam Bondi to work on the Epstein files after she sent him a warning letter about ICE agents.
Jan. 26 2026, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Governor Tim Walz has fired back at Donald Trump's Attorney General Pam Bondi after she sent him a warning letter about ICE agents in his state, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
After a second Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, 37, was gunned down by ICE agents on January 24, Walz implored the Trump administration to help de-escalate tensions by removing federal agents from the state.
Hours after Pretti's death, Bondi sent Walz a warning letter detailing a plan for ICE and other federal agents in the state while urging the governor to hand over data on Minnesota's welfare programs and voter rolls.
AG Bondi's Warning Letter to Gov. Walz
Bondi asked Walz to hand over state data on welfare programs and voter rolls.
As an estimated 50,000 Minnesota residents took to the streets to demand ICE leave their state, Bondi urged Walz to support federal law enforcement as the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge" moves full-steam ahead.
In addition to requesting state data on welfare programs and voting records, Bondi's letter also demanded the governor to repeal sanctuary city policies in Minnesota, which she claimed were responsible for civil unrest in the state.
The Trump administration targeted Minnesota citing fraud allegations tied to state welfare programs after a right-wing YouTube creator claimed to uncover fraud involving Somali immigrants.
While the federal government has accused the state of a coverup, years-long investigations into fraud allegations have produced dozens of indictments dating back to 2022. Minnesota additionally paused payments for some state-sponsored social programs while audits were being performed in late 2025.
Walz Calls Out Epstein Files in Response to Bondi
Walz pointed to the delayed release of the Epstein Files when asked about Bondi's letter.
At a press conference on Sunday, January 25, Walz didn't hold back as he addressed Bondi's letter.
"I would just give a pro tip to the attorney general. There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on," the governor said. "Go ahead and work on those."
Walz referred to the Department of Justice's ongoing violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which ordered the release of documents related to the investigation of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein by December 19, 2025.
Walz insisted the state has 'continued to work' with the federal government.
The governor further claimed his state has been targeted due to political reasons, not fraud, as he noted the state's efforts to comply with the federal government on undocumented migrants detained by authorities.
"This has nothing to do with fraud. … So, look, it's not a serious attempt to get at this," Walz added.
"The way to fix this is, is get these folks out of here," the governor said of ICE and other DHS agents carrying out immigration-related raids in the state.
"We've continued to work with them," Walz noted. "They asked us for these numbers. We provided them. We continue to show, they're not serious."
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Walz demanded Trump pull federal agents out of Minnesota after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
Walz additionally took to social media to address anger felt across the country and his state after Pretti and Renee Nicole Good were killed by agents in Minneapolis.
"They think they can provoke us into abandoning our values. They are wrong. We will keep the peace. We will secure justice for our neighbors. And we will see this occupation end," he wrote in a X post on January 24.
The following day, Walz once again called on Trump to remove agents from the state.
"Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace. And we believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street," his post read.
On Monday, January 26, Waltz revealed he spoke to the President on a phone call and confirmed Trump had "agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals."
