Protests follow after 15 Minnesotans charged with anti-ICE conspiracy
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Federal officials on Tuesday said a grand jury indicted 15 Minnesotans “for conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers,” and for efforts to allegedly “violently oppose immigration law enforcement” during the surge of federal immigration officers in the state earlier this year.
Daniel Rosen, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, told reporters the 15 were “charged not for what they said but what they did.”
Rosen, though, turned aside specific questions connected to the alleged conspiracy, saying repeatedly that evidence would roll out later.
Asked whether there were specific incidents where law enforcement officers were injured by the conspiracy, Rosen said he couldn’t elaborate. Asked about other details, he said, “We’ll let the indictment stand on its own.”
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People responded to the charges by protesting outside the federal courthouse in St. Paul. U.S. marshals sprayed pepper spray and released aerosol grenades after protesters tried to hold open a door.
The monthslong surge of federal immigration agents into Minnesota — at its peak some 3,000 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies flooded the region — gripped the state and the nation over the winter.
But the government’s track record around charges connected to the surge has been spotty.
In December and January, federal prosecutors charged 36 people, mostly protesters, with assaulting or impeding federal immigration agents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, however, has dropped 18 of the 36 cases entirely, including three with prejudice meaning they can’t file them again.
Another 11 cases have been effectively dropped through non-prosecution agreements. At a hearing in April, Magistrate Judge David Schultz called one charging document from this series a “false affidavit.”
Asked about that track record Tuesday and how the public could be assured the new indictments are legally sound, Rosen said, “You watch how the case plays out. You watch how the evidence plays out, and the evidence will prove it all out.”
No specific allegations of violence
The lead charge is conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer. Those charged are accused of actions including coordinating Signal chats and rapid-response networks to track federal immigration officers, organizing blockades around the Whipple Federal Building, conducting surveillance about immigration enforcement activities, and raising money.
Those charged put federal agents at risk, said Michael McCarthy, special agent in charge with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations unit.
“There is a clear line that cannot be crossed when protest turns into rioting, violence or criminal activity,” he told reporters. “It becomes unlawful, and it will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, some groups have crossed that line.”
While prosecutors say someone in a crowd of protesters threw large ice chunks at law enforcement vehicles, the indictment does not specifically identify which defendant allegedly threw them.
Prosecutors have identified a few people they say coordinated actions to obstruct federal immigration enforcement operations. They say Isaac Auman Sant helped coordinate planning meetings, monitored federal law enforcement activity and recruited supporters.
They also name Erik Davis, Kyle Wagner, Brian Apland and Hannah Margaret Van de Water Davis as having various planning roles in direct actions.
Prosecutors say the 15 are members and associates of the protest group Direct Action Minnesota, which they describe as an antifa — or antifascist — affinity group. Antifa is an umbrella term describing any far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. They consist of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations.
“During Operation Metro Surge, Direct Action Minnesota infiltrated and exploited lawful protests to more efficiently carry out its unlawful direct actions,” Rosen said.
The indictment itself does not allege any specific acts of violence. Rosen said that whether or not they caused bodily harm isn’t the measure of whether they committed a serious crime.
He played video from Kyle Wagner where he allegedly said, “we’re not talking about peaceful protest anymore” and urged people to “get your f---ing guns and stop these f---ing people.”
Following Rosen’s briefing, Bruce Nestor, a lawyer who defended protesters who were charged earlier this year, decried the latest indictment and accused the Justice Department of “attacking the political opponents of a budding fascist government.”
Defendants make first court appearance
Of the 15 charged, 12 were arrested Tuesday, one was already in custody and two had yet to be detained, officials said.
At the St. Paul federal courthouse, the courtroom was full Tuesday afternoon with about 100 people during the first appearances for some of those indicted. Five defendants came into the courtroom, a couple with fists raised, which some in the crowd mirrored.
Asked whether they understood the charges against them, a couple of the defendants said they were confused why they're charged with organizing a meeting. The judge clarified that's the conspiracy factor.
Other defendants said they believe the government is trying to criminalize their messages.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sommer Honeycutt asked Magistrate Judge John Docherty to detain the defendants. Docherty declined the request but set conditions for release, including that the defendants not protest on federal property and not contact each other except through their attorneys.
MPR News reporter Estelle Timar-Wilcox contributed to this report.
Correction (June 16, 2026): A previous version of this story misstated the crowd-control measures used by U.S. marshals.
