15 Minnesotans Charged With Anti-ICE Conspiracy

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday unsealed a 94-page indictment charging 15 Minnesota residents with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers in connection with protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during “Operation Metro Surge” — a massive federal immigration enforcement campaign that deployed thousands of agents to Minnesota from December through February. The charges mark a significant escalation in the legal response to immigration-related activism and have reignited debate about the boundaries of protest rights and the use of conspiracy law.

According to MPR News, 12 of the 15 defendants were arrested Tuesday morning. One was already in custody on separate charges, and two remained at large as of the announcement. The defendants made their first court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Docherty, who declined to detain them but set conditions including no protesting on federal property and no contact with co-defendants except through attorneys.

The Indictment

The defendants are alleged to be members of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), described by prosecutors as an “antifa” affinity group. The indictment is largely based on Signal encrypted messaging app chats and social media posts, alleging coordination that included organizing blockades of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, flipping a trailer in the road, distributing shields and Czech hedgehog barricades, conducting surveillance of federal agents, and raising funds.

U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen told reporters the 15 were “charged not for what they said, but what they did,” emphasizing that the conspiracy was “not to interfere with their voice, but by force.” However, as Al Jazeera reported, prosecutors declined to say whether any federal officers were injured, and the indictment itself does not allege any specific acts of violence against the defendants.

A Troubled Prosecution Record

The charges arrive against a backdrop of dozens of previously filed cases that have been dropped or deferred. Federal prosecutors previously charged 36 people with assaulting or impeding federal agents during Operation Metro Surge. According to the Minnesota Reformer, at least 18 of those 36 cases have been dropped entirely, with 11 more effectively dropped through non-prosecution agreements. In one prior case, Magistrate Judge David Schultz called a charging document a “false affidavit.”

Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas, told MPR News that proving conspiracy will be an “uphill climb” for the government. “That’s the essence of conspiracy in that it has to be an agreement to do an illegal act, not just to exercise constitutional rights,” Osler said.

Reactions and Legal Challenges

Defense attorneys and civil rights advocates have denounced the charges as politically motivated. Bruce Nestor, a defense attorney who represented earlier protesters, called the indictment “an act of political repression” designed “to punish and intimidate,” as reported by Sahan Journal.

Kevin Riach, attorney for defendant Isaac Sant, expressed particular concern about the inclusion of Sant’s writing for the anarchist blog CrimethInc. and his participation in a speaking tour as evidence of conspiracy. “This is the first indictment that I’ve ever seen where the government alleges that going on a speaking tour is somehow part of a conspiracy,” Riach said. “It’s an insult to democracy and the rule of law.”

The ACLU of Minnesota warned that the prosecution could have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights, urging Minnesotans to “demand transparency and reserve judgement until we fully understand the facts in this case.”

Clashes Outside the Courthouse

Following the announcement, protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in St. Paul. According to MPR News, U.S. Marshals deployed pepper spray and aerosol grenades after protesters attempted to hold open a courthouse door so their chanting could be heard inside.

Background: Operation Metro Surge

Operation Metro Surge was a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation launched in Minnesota in December 2025 under the second Trump administration. At its peak, approximately 3,000 agents from ICE, CBP, and other DHS agencies were deployed across the state. The operation was marked by aggressive street-level enforcement, including raids at bus stops, grocery stores, and churches, as well as two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens — Renée Good and Alex Pretti. The operation officially ended on February 12, 2026, following massive public backlash.

What’s Next

The case now moves toward trial, where the government must prove that the defendants entered into an agreement to commit an illegal act — not merely that they exercised their constitutional rights to protest and organize. Legal experts say the government’s reliance on encrypted Signal messages raises Fourth Amendment questions about surveillance, while the inclusion of political speech as evidence of conspiracy tests the boundaries of First Amendment protections. The outcome could have significant implications for protest movements nationwide, particularly as the 2026 midterm elections approach.