Federal prosecutors charge 15 in Minnesota immigration crackdown

Federal prosecutors have charged 15 individuals in Minnesota for allegedly impeding federal officers during a Trump administration immigration crackdown earlier this year. The Department of Justice stated that the defendants are members or associates of Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), a group accused of affiliations with antifa.

The indictment alleges that DAMN trains its members in tactics such as using shields against law enforcement, surveillance, and rapid mobilization against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen indicated that some defendants self-identified as antifa and that 12 of the 15 have been arrested, with two still at large and one already in custody.

Charges include conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, interstate threat, two counts of interstate stalking, two counts of assault on a federal officer, and destruction of government property. These charges are connected to alleged incidents of stalking ICE officers, setting up vehicle blockades around federal buildings, and throwing ice at federal vehicles during the operation, known as 'Operation Metro Surge.'

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy emphasized that while peaceful protest is a protected right, there is a line that cannot be crossed. The crackdown followed clashes in January where two U.S. citizens were killed by federal immigration enforcement officers. President Trump had previously ordered federal agencies to disrupt antifa affiliates, a move criticized by some First Amendment groups and Democratic lawmakers.