US conducted ‘mass spying campaign’ against leftwing groups and anti-ICE protesters, records reveal

Key Points:

• Newly released records reveal the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted extensive surveillance on leftwing organizations and protesters opposing immigration enforcement in Minnesota, including undercover infiltration of meetings and monitoring of financial records.
• The surveillance was part of "Operation Puppet Master," initiated in January to identify conspirators against ICE during a surge in immigration enforcement, leading to a criminal case against 15 Minneapolis protesters accused of conspiring to impede immigration officers.
• Investigations targeted major unions and progressive groups such as AFL-CIO, SEIU, Democratic Socialists of America, and Showing Up for Racial Justice, although none of these organizations have been charged with crimes.
• Undercover agents attended public events, infiltrated online chats, recorded meetings, and gathered detailed intelligence, raising concerns from civil rights advocates who argue the government is criminalizing lawful protest and engaging in political repression.
• Experts and defense attorneys criticized the scope and methods of the investigations, highlighting the use of administrative subpoenas without judicial oversight and the reliance on guilt-by-association theories, reflecting historical patterns of government surveillance targeting leftwing activism.