Homeland Security adopts COINTELPRO-style tactics against immigrant protestors, sparking civil-rights concerns
DHS agents shot and killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti during peaceful protests in Minneapolis, then launched extensive surveillance of activist groups.
In early 2024, peaceful protests in Minneapolis against mass immigrant arrests turned deadly when ICE and Customs agents shot writer Renée Good and Department of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti. Following the shootings, federal authorities bypassed criminal investigations and instead launched a sweeping surveillance campaign targeting a range of activist groups, from labor unions to climate organizations, labeling them “violent opportunists.”
The program employed invasive methods, including administrative subpoenas that accessed three years of wire-transfer data from the Service Employees International Union and financial records of the Sunrise Movement and the Communications Workers of America. Prosecutors used the collected intelligence to present grand-jury cases alleging a conspiracy by 18 organizations, including the AFL-CIO, to obstruct immigration officers.
The article draws parallels to J. Edgar Hoover’s COINTELPRO program, which used similar covert tactics to suppress dissent, noting that contemporary congressional oversight appears muted. It also references historical revelations about COINTELPRO’s illegal activities and the lack of current legislative response to the DHS actions.
Why it matters
The use of covert, punitive tactics against lawful protest threatens First Amendment rights and sets a dangerous precedent for law-enforcement overreach.
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