Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against 15 people accused of participating in a coordinated effort to obstruct federal immigration enforcement operations during the Trump administration’s controversial “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota.
Speaking at a press conference in Minneapolis, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said the defendants were linked to two Minneapolis-based groups that prosecutors describe as affiliated with the anti-fascist movement known as antifa. Rosen alleged the groups organized and carried out a campaign to impede federal officers as thousands of immigration agents flooded the Twin Cities during a major enforcement operation that began in late 2025.
According to prosecutors, members of the alleged conspiracy tracked federal agents, monitored enforcement activity, warned neighborhoods about upcoming operations, and used physical obstacles to slow or block government vehicles. Authorities also claim the defendants coordinated through encrypted messaging platforms and organized both “hard” and “soft” blockades around federal facilities and enforcement sites.
Twelve suspects were arrested on Tuesday. One defendant was already in federal custody on unrelated charges, while two others remain at large.
Rosen suggested additional arrests could follow as the investigation continues.
“If you are actively conspiring to impede law enforcement, you ought to go on the assumption that we’re watching, and we’ll get you,” Rosen said.
The charges stem from resistance to “Operation Metro Surge,” a massive federal immigration crackdown that deployed thousands of ICE, Border Patrol, and other federal agents throughout Minnesota. The operation resulted in thousands of arrests and sparked months of protests, legal challenges, and clashes between federal authorities and local activists.
Federal officials have alleged that some activists went beyond lawful protest and engaged in coordinated efforts to physically obstruct immigration enforcement. Prosecutors say members of the alleged conspiracy erected barriers, created shield walls, damaged government property, and in some cases threw projectiles at law enforcement personnel. Several defendants face additional charges including assault, destruction of government property, and interstate stalking.
The crackdown became even more controversial after two people — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were fatally shot by federal agents during separate enforcement actions, incidents that fueled widespread demonstrations and intensified opposition to the operation. Investigations into those shootings remain ongoing.
The prosecutions represent the latest step in a broader Trump administration effort to target organized resistance to immigration enforcement. Federal officials have previously secured convictions tied to anti-ICE protests in other states, while additional conspiracy cases have been brought against activists accused of interfering with federal operations.
Border czar Tom Homan had previously warned that individuals interfering with immigration enforcement would face consequences.
“They’ll be held accountable,” Homan said during the Minnesota operation. “Justice is coming.”
The charges also arrive amid the administration’s heightened focus on antifa following President Trump’s September executive order directing federal agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle” organizations and individuals linked to the movement.
Outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, dozens of demonstrators protested the arrests, carrying signs reading “Protesting is not a crime” and “Stop FBI entrapment.” Critics argued the prosecutions amount to an effort to criminalize political opposition to federal immigration policy. Civil liberties advocates and defense attorneys have described the case as politically motivated and warned it could chill lawful protest activity.
Federal prosecutors rejected those claims, insisting the case is centered on alleged criminal conduct rather than protected speech.
“The conspiracy was not to interfere by their voice, but to do it by force,” Rosen said. “That’s a crime, and it will not be tolerated in the United States.”
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What would happen if Pro-ICE folks were to show up & resist the anti’s by FORCE ? In some communities, it would be expected to FORCEABLY assist Law Enforcement, like an old time Posse.
And a Posse wouldn’t be as restrained as are L.E.O’s by legal “nice guy” tactics & civil-rights laws that HOG-TIE officers.
That’s a start. I hope we keep seeing stories like this. We need to rid antifa from the US.