US conducted mass spying campaign against leftwing and anti-ICE protesters
Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/13/us-government-spied-anti-ice-protesters Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49294199 Points: 225 # Comments: 70
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a massive surveillance campaign targeting left-wing protesters and organizations opposing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. The agency sent undercover agents to meetings, infiltrated Signal chats, and obtained financial records of prominent unions and progressive groups.
Nearly 30 internal reports revealed the extensive spying efforts, which followed the Trump's executive order designating "antifa" a "domestic terrorist organization." The investigations led to a criminal case against 15 Minneapolis protesters accused of "impeding" US immigration officers. The records show that the DHS targeted mainstream unions, left-leaning non-profits, and large progressive organizations like the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).
Civil rights groups have criticized the government for criminalizing lawful protest activity under the pretext of targeting left-wing "terrorism."
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