DHS Files Detail Undercover Surveillance of Minnesota Anti-ICE Activists

Newly disclosed Department of Homeland Security records describe an undercover surveillance operation targeting Minnesota residents and activists involved in protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The files, reviewed by The Guardian and released in federal court, describe several Homeland Security Investigations agents attending community meetings, joining encrypted Signal groups and documenting protest activity. The records were submitted in the ongoing prosecution of 15 Minneapolis protesters accused of conspiring to impede ICE. One agent, identified as 9843, used the Signal username “peanutbutterjelly” while communicating with organizers. According to the records, the agent saved screenshots of conversations about marches, housing, fundraising and volunteer recruitment, and offered to help verify locations where ICE personnel were believed to be staying. The agent also volunteered to assist with posters, flyers and financial organizing. The agent attended an online ICE-watch training and an in-person legal-observer session in December 2025. DHS’s account of the sessions said participants were encouraged to observe nonviolently and follow police instructions. The agency reported no indications of threats to public safety at the legal-observer meeting. Two other undercover agents attended a January community meeting at a library hosted by the Sunrise Movement. Their reports described discussions of protest strategy and conversations that emphasized peaceful actions and avoiding arrest. One agent nevertheless sought private contacts and offered to provide construction-related supplies for demonstrations. The records also include photographs taken on government phones. They show protest meetings, presentation materials, books, signs, musicians, chalk messages and demonstrators wearing costumes or protective clothing. One photograph captured graffiti reading “KILL ICE,” while another showed a vest stating “peaceful observer don’t shoot.” A report containing one agent’s interview was marked as having been produced by artificial intelligence. In February, nine agents followed four protesters to gather what the records called “pattern of life” information. One person was monitored from his home while driving, getting coffee and visiting a church. Agents also noted the individual carrying “ICE OUT” signs and shields. Civil rights groups and defense attorneys argue that the surveillance targeted lawful protest activity. The files are partly redacted, and their full operational context is not always clear. DHS and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s inquiries. DHS has previously declined to discuss specific ongoing investigations or investigative methods.