DOJ charges 15 in Minnesota anti-ICE conspiracy case
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Federal prosecutors charged 15 people with conspiring to impede or injure federal officers during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area, alleging coordinated efforts to block arrests and deportations.
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen announced the charges at a Tuesday news conference, saying the defendants "violently opposed the enforcement of federal law" during Operation Metro Surge, the enforcement push that prosecutors said produced more than 4,000 arrests across the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.
According to The Associated Press, Rosen said the defendants set up blockades around government buildings, threw chunks of ice at federal vehicles and engaged in "stalking" of agents as they moved through Minneapolis. He said members also used homemade shields made of plastic, wood and metal to slow law enforcement.
Each defendant was charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, a count that carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison. Some defendants faced additional charges, including interstate stalking, assault on a federal officer and destruction of government property.
The government's allegations
Rosen said the alleged conspiracy began in January, shortly after the administration launched Operation Metro Surge. The operation brought thousands of federal agents — often masked and traveling in unmarked SUVs — into the region, drawing protests from residents who used anonymous messaging threads, whistles and car horns to track and signal the movement of agents.
Reports differ on the size of the deployment, with figures ranging from 3,000 agents cited at the operation's start to thousands more described by the Department of Homeland Security as the effort expanded.
Prosecutors said 12 of the defendants were arrested Tuesday, one was already in custody and two remained at large. PBS NewsHour reported Rosen said the 15 were tied to "Direct Action Minnesota," which he described as a coalition of protest groups involved in "surveillance, operational planning and rapid mobilization against law enforcement."
Rosen declined to say whether any federal agents were injured. "Whether or not they actually, at the end of the day, cause bodily harm is not the measure of whether or not they committed a serious federal crime," he told reporters. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy said peaceful protest is protected but that "when protest turns into rioting, violence and unlawful activity, it becomes unlawful and it will not be tolerated."
'Antifa' label disputed
Rosen characterized the defendants as members and associates of two groups he called "antifa," an umbrella term for a diffuse movement of militant left-wing activists. Asked to define the term, he said the question was "beyond the scope" of the indictment but noted several defendants had self-identified with it.
The characterization drew immediate pushback. Defense attorney Kevin Riach told the AP his client, Isaac Sant, had no affiliation with antifa, which he called "a boogeyman invented by the far-right." Riach added: "It's an affront to the First Amendment." Reporting from NBC News noted that "antifa," short for "anti-fascist," resembles an ideology more than an organization, though some adherents have embraced militant tactics.
The charges arrive as the administration has escalated its posture toward antifa. President Donald Trump moved last year to designate it a domestic terrorist group and directed federal agencies to "investigate, disrupt, and dismantle" its affiliates and funders. In a related matter, eight people accused of ties to antifa were convicted on terrorism charges in March over a Texas shooting, a first-of-its-kind case that raised concerns among some civil liberties groups.
Tensions over the enforcement surge
Operation Metro Surge generated sustained unrest. During the crackdown, immigration authorities fatally shot two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in separate confrontations; investigations into those shootings remain ongoing, and the agents involved have not been charged. Minnesota state prosecutors have separately charged two ICE officers over alleged violence against civilians during the surge, part of broader immigration-enforcement litigation testing the administration's tactics.
The federal indictment is the latest in a string of high-profile prosecutions to emerge from Minnesota, following another federal case arising in the state. After Tuesday's announcement, dozens of protesters gathered at a federal building in St. Paul, where defendants made initial court appearances. Reports indicate law enforcement deployed pepper spray and chemical irritants as demonstrators pressed toward the entrance.
According to Courthouse News Service, prosecutors said the defendants infiltrated lawful protests to carry out unlawful actions targeting agents, citing blockades on Jan. 23 and March 1 at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building south of Minneapolis. Rosen said the charges differ from earlier cases against protesters, many of which his office has dropped.
Frequently Asked Questions
What charge do all 15 defendants face?
Each was charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, which carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison. Some defendants face additional charges such as interstate stalking, assault on a federal officer and destruction of government property.
What is Operation Metro Surge?
It is the federal immigration enforcement operation the Trump administration launched in the Minneapolis area in early 2026. Federal prosecutors said it resulted in more than 4,000 arrests across the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.
How does the defense respond to the "antifa" label?
Defense attorney Kevin Riach told the AP his client had no affiliation with antifa, calling the term "a boogeyman invented by the far-right" and describing the prosecution as "an affront to the First Amendment." U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said several defendants had self-identified with the term.
Were any federal agents injured?
Rosen declined to say whether any agents were injured, telling reporters that causing bodily harm "is not the measure of whether or not they committed a serious federal crime."
Sources
Reporting compiled from court records and the cited source outlets.