Court filings expose DHS 'Operation Puppet Master' spying on Minnesota anti-ICE protesters and unions
Newly disclosed court documents reveal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted extensive undercover surveillance of anti-ICE protesters, labor unions, and left-wing groups in Minnesota. The investigation, dubbed 'Operation Puppet Master,' involved agents infiltrating public meetings, recording conversations, and seizing financial records from major unions like the SEIU and AFL-CIO. Defense attorneys argue this constitutes a 'mass spying campaign' targeting lawful First Amendment activity, while the government maintains it was investigating a conspiracy to impede federal officers. No organizations have been charged, but the records have intensified civil rights concerns about the criminalization of protest.