Court Documents Reveal DHS Ran Far-Reaching Surveillance of Activists, Unions During Minnesota ICE Surge

Court filings unsealed around August 24, 2026 showed DHS conducted extensive surveillance of protesters, labor unions, and community groups during the winter 2026 ICE 'Metro Surge' operation in Minneapolis-St. Paul, sweeping in a local teachers' union, a bicycle repair shop, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO. Documents describe an undercover DHS agent attending a February meeting of ICE protesters at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, photographing attendees' license plates, and compiling dossiers with names, home addresses, and family and employment details. The government defended the tactics in a Friday court filing, saying it targeted only individuals later charged in a conspiracy case allegedly planning blockades at the Minneapolis federal building that served as ICE surge headquarters — not the broader body of peaceful protesters. Civil liberties advocates, including FIRE's Aaron Terr, said the methods described risk sweeping up people engaged in constitutionally protected activity.