A trio of
conservative and libertarian-leaning groups have asked a federal judge to force the disclosure of confidential files about undercover agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement infiltrating left-wing protest groups in Minneapolis.
The Cato Institute, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and the Society for the Rule of Law filed a friend-of-the-court brief on Tuesday arguing that the Trump administration illegally targeted protesters based on their ideology.
A wide-ranging ICE investigation in the Twin Cities resulted in the
June indictment of the protesters
, widely known as the Minneapolis 15, for allegedly using criminal methods to try to block the administration’s crackdown on immigrants.
The defendants were “members and associates” of Direct Action Minnesota, a protest group that used aggressive actions to disrupt the crackdown, according to the indictment.
Secret ICE Agent Tried to “Entice” Minneapolis Activists Into Confrontational Tactics
Yet a court filing from the defense earlier this month revealed that
ICE sent undercover agents to spy
on a much broader array of groups, including mainstream organizations such as local labor unions and the youth-led
Sunrise Movement
.
The defendants filed a motion asking the judge overseeing the case to force the disclosure of even more files, alleging that they will show that the government illegally targeted left-wing protesters for their politics rather than their alleged crimes.
On Tuesday, the right and libertarian-leaning groups came to the left-wing protesters’ aid with
the friend-of-the-court brief
. The groups, which are represented by the legal nonprofit Protect Democracy, argue that the facts revealed so far support the defendants’ claims.
The groups pointed out that some of the government’s own files say the origins of the investigation into left-wing protesters lies in a memo that President Donald Trump issued after the
assassination
… [more]
