Surveillance operation in Minnesota targeted progressive groups, unions, court documents show

Key Points:

• Federal agents conducted a covert surveillance operation, Operation Puppet Master, targeting progressive groups, labor unions, and protesters opposing an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, as revealed in court documents.
• The operation involved infiltrating meetings in public spaces and monitoring activist communications, often focusing on constitutionally protected protests, leading to charges against 15 individuals accused of conspiring to impede federal enforcement.
• Homeland Security Investigations also gathered extensive financial records from various organizations, including the Sunrise Movement and major labor unions, raising concerns about political motivations behind the investigation.
• Civil rights advocates and union leaders condemned the surveillance as an intimidation tactic threatening free expression, with some describing it as indicative of a "creeping police state."
• The government defended the crackdown as part of its largest immigration enforcement operation, while defense attorneys disputed allegations linking their clients to militant groups like antifa.