Federal Documents Expose Expansive Surveillance Program Targeting Activists and Labor Uncs
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As part of its spying operation, DHS sent undercover agents to meetings in churches, parks, libraries, schools and union halls and secretly obtained the financial records of left-leaning national organizations such as the Communications Workers of America and Sunrise Movement. “We were sick to hear that we were also in this list of people that were organizing using their First Amendment rights and the right to petition to their government, but also not surprised,” says Emilia González Avalos, the executive director of Unidos MN, a local organization that was one of the groups surveilled by DHS. “This is one of the tactics they have used across the world to repress and scare and disrupt movements that are organizing with other people against racism, that are organizing for justice, and that are organizing for a multiracial, high-functioning democracy.” Please check back later for full transcript.
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Washington ExaminerUndercover federal agents, posing as anti-deportation activists, spied on prominent labor unions as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s investigation into what prosecutors say was a well-funded and highly organized conspiracy among antifa militants in Minnesota to methodically impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The InterceptOrganizers in Minneapolis long suspected they were being surveilled by the federal government during the height of the winter protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was not until a court filing on Thursday, however, that the youth-led Sunrise Movement and other groups learned the depths of infiltration.
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Guests Newly released federal documents have revealed the existence of an expansive surveillance program launched by the federal government against activists, labor unions, community groups, and even a bicycle repair collective, in Minnesota last winter. “Operation Puppet Master” was launched in response to statewide protests against the ICE killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The program has come to light in the course of a federal case against 15 Minnesotans who have been accused of “conspiracy” to impede ICE’s immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota. Isaac Sant, one of the defendants in the case, says the charges levied against him are “politically motivated” and “intended to quell dissent.”
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Washington ExaminerOperational documents show that HSI also opened a separate investigation, “Operation Puppet Master,” four days after the fatal Border Portal shooting of anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti, a nurse and union member of the American Federation of Government Employees. Operation Puppet Master sought to unmask the agitators conspiring to exploit the civil unrest to riot, destroy federal property, and assault personnel protecting these facilities.
The InterceptShortly after federal agents killed Alex Pretti on January 24, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations opened two investigations it called “Operation Puppet Master” and “Project Whipple Shield,” the latter a reference to the federal building that was the site of many ICE protests.
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"HSI does not comment on the existence or status of specific investigations, nor on investigative methods, intelligence sources, or potential enforcement actions," a DHS spokesperson told The Post, referring to the Homeland Security Investigations unit.
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The Intercept“HSI investigates individuals and organizations when there is just and legal cause to do so and within the scope of its legal authorities. To preserve the integrity of our work and protect law enforcement sensitivities, we do not comment on ongoing investigations, investigative tactics, or procedures,” an agency spokesperson said.
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Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Washington Examiner Nurses and teachers unions have a documented history of bankrolling leftist candidates and causes, with their financial support lately ballooning in the lead up to the 2026 elections.
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02 Fox News Los Angeles teachers are patrolling neighborhoods near schools for ICE agents — a rogue effort the school district disavowed as it ramps up support for immigrant families, while DHS blasts critics for pushing a "false narrative" about enforcement at schools.
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03 NBC News A 72-year-old woman says her civil rights were violated when an ICE agent in Manhattan sprayed her with pepper spray.
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04 The Intercept The Sunrise Movement has long preached nonviolence even as it pursues aggressive tactics, such as making a racket outside of the hotels where ICE agents sleep.
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05 NPR News After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to track down a New York man at his home, an airport and a hotel to confront him over a critical email he sent to the former head of ICE five months prior, federal officials are defending such investigations in court filings.
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