Fifteen individuals linked to an anti-ICE network in Minneapolis have been indicted on federal conspiracy charges for allegedly obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The defendants are accused of coordinating a months-long campaign to impede federal immigration enforcement through surveillance and street combat tactics.
According to charging documents, the group, identified as Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN), operated as a decentralized collective of anti-ICE activists. DAMN, originally called Twin Cities Direct Action, formed during the second Trump administration to oppose deportation operations. The group includes members of suborganizations such as the Black Cat Worker’s Collective (BCWC) and the Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club (RRMSC), both described as "antifa affinity groups" committed to "community self-defense."
Investigators allege that the defendants collaborated to disrupt ICE activities, with some facing additional charges for stalking, threatening, or attacking officers and damaging government property. Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen stated that the group "infiltrated and exploited lawful protests" while targeting federal officers.
The indictments highlight tensions between anti-deportation activists and federal immigration enforcement. DAMN and affiliated groups advocate for direct action, which they describe as physical resistance to government policies. Critics argue that such tactics escalate confrontations and undermine lawful protests.
The case raises questions about the balance between civil disobedience and criminal conduct in political activism. While some view the defendants as defenders of immigrant communities, others see their actions as violent obstruction of federal law.