The Department of Homeland Security launched an undercover operation named “Operation Puppet Master” to surveil local anti-ICE groups in Minneapolis, according to court records filed on Thursday. Run by Homeland Security Investigations, the operation involved infiltrating protest groups and subpoenaing financial records just days after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in January.
Undercover Operations Target Minneapolis Activists
The Department of Homeland Security deployed undercover agents to infiltrate community meetings, churches, parks, libraries, schools, and union halls during mass deportation campaigns in the Twin Cities, according to court documents filed by defense attorneys. Legal filings in United States v. Sant reveal that the surveillance initiative, dubbed Operation Puppet Master, followed an earlier undercover effort known as “Project Whipple Shield.”
The filings were submitted by lawyers representing Isaac Sant, an anti-ICE activist charged alongside 14 others with conspiracy to impede ICE officers. Defense attorneys wrote in their legal brief that the proceedings involve an unprecedented campaign by the Department of Homeland Security to spy on Minnesota residents, characterizing the allegations as born from political retribution.
According to Homeland Security Investigations records included in the court file, agents wearing audio recorders attended local anti-ICE trainings and joined Signal messaging channels. Activists utilized these digital chats to organize protest actions, including demonstrations outside hotels housing ICE officers.
Origins of National Security Policy Memorandum-7
The surveillance initiatives stem from executive actions directed by the Trump administration targeting left-wing domestic terrorism, which led to the issuance of National Security Policy Memorandum-7. According to government documents cited in the filings, the memorandum directed federal agencies to investigate the financial backers and organizational structures of progressive groups believed to be engaging in violent acts.
The executive directive aligns with administration rhetoric focusing on liberal funding networks, including billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations. Homeland Security Investigations utilized the mandate to prioritize identifying financial sources behind protest campaigns in Minnesota.
Labor Unions and Advocacy Groups Named in Internal Slides
Internal investigative materials produced during the operations generated an agency slide linking several major labor organizations and advocacy groups to a broader conspiracy. According to the court filings, the slide connected the AFL-CIO, local chapters of the Service Employees International Union, the Communications Workers of America, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, and the Minnesota Federation of Educators to the Direct Action Minnesota Network.
The Sunrise Movement, Black Cat Workers’ Collective, and the anti-Trump protest group 50501 were also monitored during Operation Metro Surge, a federal enforcement sweep that ran from December 4, 2025, to February 16, 2026. The sweep occurred in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Federal agents issued subpoenas for the financial transaction records of multiple national and local labor unions as part of the investigation. Lawyers for the defense argue that the sweeping scrutiny targets constitutionally protected association and peaceful advocacy under the guise of counterterrorism investigations.
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