DHS Reveals Far-Reaching Twin Cities Protest Surveillance

Court filings reveal DHS undercover agents and electronic surveillance in Minnesota during the ICE surge, with operatives infiltrating anti-ICE meetings, churches, schools, parks, and private chats. The operations, known as Operation Puppet Master and Metro Surge, produced hundreds of pages of agent notes, photos, and chat-capture tools aimed at identifying organizers and funding networks behind the movement. Prosecutors describe efforts to subpoena union finances and trace websites and events connected to the Minnesota anti-ICE effort, signaling a broad intelligence-gathering campaign. The filings tie the surveillance to executive actions from the Trump administration, including National Security Policy Memorandum-7, which officials say directed scrutiny of funding networks behind progressive protests. Clergy and activists depict the scope as chilling, with church leaders reporting covert surveillance and meetings being recorded, while a court hearing on additional disclosures is anticipated.