Politics
Court filings show DHS surveilled churches, groups during Minnesota ICE surge
Undercover agents recorded meetings, compiled dossiers, and subpoenaed financial records in an investigation targeting ICE protesters.
The short version
- Court filings in an ongoing conspiracy case show the Department of Homeland Security surveilled churches, schools, libraries, and businesses during a federal immigration surge in Minnesota.
- Undercover DHS agents recorded meetings, collected license plate data, compiled personal dossiers, and subpoenaed financial records for organizations including major labor unions.
- Federal prosecutors defended the tactics as standard law enforcement practice targeting individuals charged with planning unprotected blockades, rather than peaceful protesters.
- A court hearing regarding the defense motion detailing the surveillance is scheduled for this week.
Key facts
- Court documents filed in a federal conspiracy case show DHS agents conducted undercover surveillance at locations including Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Roseville and University Baptist Church in Minneapolis during last winter's immigration enforcement surge.[NPR]
- Undercover agents recorded meetings, logged license plate numbers, compiled dossiers on attendees, and infiltrated private group chats.[NPR]
- DHS subpoenaed financial records of labor unions and non-profit organizations, including the Service Employees International Union and the Communications Workers of America.[NPR]
- A PowerPoint slide presented to grand jurors depicted 18 organizations under a web labeled "The Conspiracy," which a DHS agent testified showed entities affiliated with the defendants.[NPR]
- Federal prosecutors stated in court filings that the surveillance targeted individuals charged in the conspiracy case who planned non-First Amendment protected activities like blockades, not peaceful protesters.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- It remains legally undetermined whether the surveillance operations violated federal law or constitutional rights, though legal experts note federal agencies have broad Fourth Amendment authority.[NPR]