Special Investigations

Press Freedom Defense Fund

Federal Agents Are Intimidating Legal Observers at Their Homes: “They Know Where You Live.”

Immigration authorities in Minnesota have identified legal observers by name and address, and in some cases showed up at their homes.

Former Minnesota state Sen. Matt Little was lawfully observing federal immigration agents in a Dakota County neighborhood last month when the drive took an unexpected turn.

As he followed their vehicles, they led him down a rural road that grew increasingly familiar during the 20-minute drive. Soon, Little told The Intercept, he realized where the federal agents were headed: his house.

When he approached his driveway, two SUVs were already waiting, Little said. Agents moved to block his car, claiming he had impeded their investigation and that local law enforcement would be called. No other officers came to his house, and Little was not cited or charged.

“The intent was clearly to intimidate us. It’s stressful. It’s a little bit scary. But at the same time,” Little said, “I just think it’s really important to be out there and monitoring what they’re doing.”

Interviews, sworn declarations, and video reviewed by The Intercept indicate that Little is not the only person subjected to this kind of intimidation. Across the Twin Cities, immigration agents have identified legal observers by name and address, and, in some cases, led them back to their homes after they engaged in lawful monitoring of immigration activity. Legal observers say this pattern of behavior sends a clear and chilling message: The federal government knows who they are and where they live.

These encounters are unfolding amid a rapid expansion of federal surveillance capabilities.

Immigration authorities have significantly expanded their use of mobile biometric and surveillance tools in recent years. Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as Customs and Border Protection, for example, can use the smartphone app Mobile Fortify to photograph a person’s face or capture fingerprints in the field and compare them against federal biometric databases, according to a Department of Homeland Security inventory of artificial intelligence technologies.

“We make sure to lock the door now.”

“We make sure to lock the door now.”

Those tools operate within a broader surveillance infrastructure that includes automated license plate readers, commercial data brokers, and face recognition systems. A 2022 report from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology found ICE can access driver’s license data covering roughly three-quarters of U.S. adults, including state photo databases that can be searched using face recognition technology.

Civil liberties advocates say the growing web of identification tools has enabled federal agents to quickly identify anyone who monitors or protests their actions — chilling protected First Amendment activity and deterring the legal observation of law enforcement.

“We make sure to lock the door now,” said Little. “It’s definitely heightened our awareness. I’m scared when I’m out there. But for me, it’s a lot scarier to just sit at my house.”

“Uptick in Abductions”: ICE Ramps Up Targeting of Minneapolis Legal Observers

Attorneys and community observers say similar fears are emerging across the Twin Cities even as Operation Metro Surge is said to be winding down.

Beth Jackson, a longtime St. Paul resident and grandmother who participates in a local network of volunteer observers, described one frightening encounter that escalated quickly. According to Jackson and a heavily redacted police report reviewed by The Intercept, local officers surrounded her vehicle with guns drawn after a federal agent alleged that she made violent threats. Jackson denies the allegation, and her attorney said no criminal charges were filed.

Jackson said agents never explained how they identified her. In prior encounters, she said,........

© The Intercept