First Thing: Court files show how federal agents spied on anti-ICE protesters | Martin Belam

Newly disclosed court documents reveal the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a broad surveillance operation targeting anti-ICE protesters, labor unions, and left-leaning advocacy groups. Undercover DHS agents infiltrated community meetings, joined private activist chats, and recorded events, posing as activists and offering assistance with protests. This operation included issuing administrative subpoenas to seize financial records from unions and non-profits as part of an inquiry into "domestic terrorist financing." Activists view this as an attempt to intimidate and politically repress dissent. The article also briefly mentions other unrelated news items including a bombing in Crimea, a thwarted Russian assassination plot in Poland, a Massachusetts teen accused of murder allegedly connected to ChatGPT use, and the WNBA's condemnation of efforts to fuel debate about transgender players.

Court documents reveal that federal agents conducted a broad undercover surveillance operation, dubbed "Operation Puppet Master," earlier this year in Minneapolis. The operation targeted progressive organizations, labor unions, and other groups protesting immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security infiltrated meetings and monitored activist groups, which the documents suggest were often discussions of constitutionally protected protests. This operation was part of a case involving 15 individuals charged with impeding the immigration crackdown. Defense attorneys argue the investigations were politically motivated and not based on criminal conduct. The government has not commented on the specifics of the operation.

Newly disclosed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records reveal a broad spying campaign targeting leftwing groups and anti-immigration protesters. The operation, dubbed "Operation Puppet Master," involved undercover agents attending community meetings in the Twin Cities and New York, infiltrating private Signal chats, and obtaining financial records of mainstream unions and progressive nonprofits. These efforts, initiated in response to opposition to the Trump administration's immigration policies and ICE surge, led to a criminal case against 15 Minneapolis protesters accused of conspiracy. The investigations followed a directive to designate "antifa" a domestic terrorist organization. While major organizations like the AFL-CIO and DSA were investigated, none have been charged.