Feds spying in Minneapolis church may have violated court order
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An undercover federal operation at a Minneapolis church this spring may have violated a federal court injunction barring the government from enforcing civil immigration laws on the church’s properties.
University Baptist Church in the Dinkytown area is part of the Alliance of Baptists and the American Baptist Churches USA, which both won the temporary injunction in the District of Massachusetts in February 2026 against the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies forbidding the department from taking “immigration enforcement action” at any of their churches. That injunction signed by U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV includes banning “arrest, seizure, search, interrogation, questioning, interview or investigation.”
The injunction states that violations of the order could lead to sanctions or penalties for defendants, who include officials and agents working with Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
Federal reports released in the conspiracy case against 15 anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota this week show that an undercover federal agent attended a training session of what the government described as a left-wing martial arts group in University Baptist Church’s gymnasium on May 28.
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According to the report, the female agent sparred with other attendees and interviewed them about how they got involved in the group. Her recording device fell to the gymnasium floor near the end of training.
Three minutes later, the agent realized she left the device behind and retrieved it.
The church submitted evidence along with a legal declaration that it had posted notices indicating the grounds are protected by the federal court order in the Massachusetts case. It also included a photo of a sign that says federal agents are not allowed on the premises.
Other documents filed show federal agents conducted surveillance around the church at least three times between April and June. Agents recorded people entering and leaving the church. They also took photos of cars around the building and ran license plates to discover people’s identities.
University Baptist Church describes itself on its website as a “progressive, open, theologically diverse and biblically-inspired environment” where the congregation is interested in “peace, justice, inclusion, and authentic and relevant religious expression.”
In a statement to MPR News, interim pastor Rev. Cody J. Sanders said church leaders weren’t aware of the surveillance at their building until one of the defendants in the Minnesota protester case, known as the Minnesota 15, filed a motion for discovery this week.
Sanders said society should agree churches and other sacred spaces should not be subject to government infiltration, but that churches across the country “have become a threat to those in power when we care for our neighbors, provide safe spaces for our community members to gather in peace, and strive together toward justice.”
“We will continue to insist that solidarity with our most vulnerable neighbors is the way that we best follow the ways of Jesus in the world," Sanders said in the statement. The church had no initial updates on how they plan to handle the apparent violation of the injunction.
Neither Homeland Security nor the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office have responded to requests for comment from MPR News.
These and other documents released as part of the conspiracy case against the Minnesota 15 have shed light on the federal government’s clandestine efforts following the surge of ICE and other federal agents into Minnesota this winter.
Some of the federal actions fell under what officials referred to as Operation Puppet Master and aimed to corral what the government described as “violent opportunists.” It was informed by an executive memorandum in 2025 that directed law enforcement to prioritize investigation of “anti-fascist” actors.
The Homeland Security reports show undercover federal agents impersonated protesters and tried to infiltrate community meetings at churches, union halls and libraries in the Twin Cities throughout the winter and spring.
Homeland Security Investigations, the department’s primary investigative branch, also subpoenaed extensive financial information from groups they suspected supported anti-ICE protests, which included the Sunrise Movement and unions like the Service Employers International Union. Those are among the 18 activist groups and labor unions that a Homeland Security Investigations agent presented to grand jurors as part of an alleged conspiracy to impede federal law enforcement, according to one document.
The federal government’s surge into Minnesota started officially in December and ended in February. Thousands of immigrants, protesters and observers were arrested during the surge. Federal agents shot and killed two Minneapolis residents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, on city streets while another man was shot and wounded in his home.
During the height of the surge, thousands of Minnesotans mobilized to counter ICE efforts, including observing federal agents, delivering food to immigrant families or patrolling with other volunteers outside daycares and schools.
The revelation this week that federal agents actively infiltrated community spaces sparked outrage from targeted community groups. In a statement, a coalition of groups said they refuse to be bullied: “We know the power we have when we organize and act together, and we’ll continue using that power to defend our neighbors and our freedoms.”
The initial motion for discovery was filed by defense attorney Kevin Riach, who is representing Isaac Sant, one of the Minnesota 15. Prosecutors accuse them of attempting to impede or injure federal law enforcement.
In the filing on Thursday, Riach asked the court to order the government to release the remaining investigative reports in the case, including on other federal projects like Operation Whipple Shield, which was listed in some documents and apparently focused on protesters at the federal building in the Twin Cities. They also want access to correspondence between administration officials and prosecutors that could show they had political motives or sought to suppress First Amendment rights.
