Minnesota Labor Unions Rally Behind 'Minneapolis 15' as ICE Indictment Sparks Unity
Federal prosecutors indicted fifteen anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis, prompting labor unions and community groups to rally in their defense and turn the case into a unifying cause for the Twin Cities left.
Earlier this year the Justice Department filed a 94-page indictment against fifteen activists in Minneapolis, accusing them of conspiring to harass ICE personnel through actions such as blocking federal buildings and following agents. Homeland Security Investigations, led by Michael McCarthy, admitted its agents had covertly infiltrated non-violent organizations and subpoenaed union finances, echoing President Donald Trump’s NSPM-7 directive.
Prosecutors have struggled to prove any injuries to federal officers, while defendants—including Emmett James Doyle, a union carpenter, and teacher Treasure Thoreson—maintain they never used violence. The case has galvanized Minnesota’s labor movement: unions like the SEIU, CWA and the state AFL-CIO have funded legal defenses, organized a bowling-alley fundraiser and marched downtown on October 3. Critics argue the indictment is an attempt to intimidate progressive groups, and the defendants have linked their fight to other left-wing prosecutions such as the Prairieland case.
Why it matters
The trial tests the federal government's reach in criminalizing protest and could reshape labor-movement activism.
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