DHS conducted far-reaching surveillance during Minnesota ICE surge, court documents show
Court documents reveal that the Department of Homeland Security conducted extensive surveillance on peaceful protesters and community members in Minnesota. The operation included infiltrating churches and libraries, raising significant concerns about civil liberties and government overreach.
Why it matters
The revelation of widespread domestic surveillance on non-criminal groups challenges the boundaries of federal law enforcement authority and privacy rights.
On a recent Sunday morning at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Roseville, Minn., Steve Sylvester, the interim pastor there, had an unusual announcement to make.
Standing at the altar, he told his mostly elderly congregation that the Department of Homeland Security had surveilled their church during the federal immigration enforcement surge that happened in the state last winter.
The revelation was part of a motion filed in federal court just a few days before the service, as part of an ongoing conspiracy case against ICE protesters.
According to government documents , an undercover DHS agent attended a meeting of ICE protesters at Prince of Peace in February. The agent captured the license plates of people there, and then compiled dossiers including their names, addresses, and information about their families and jobs, according to the motion.
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