Veterans For Peace Denounces DHS Surveillance of Protest Organizers

• The veterans organization Veterans For Peace (VFP) has condemned the Trump administration for conducting domestic surveillance on activists in Minneapolis and St. Paul who were protecting communities from ICE operations.
• Internal documents revealed a DHS operation codenamed "Operation Puppet Master" involving undercover agents infiltrating community meetings, Signal chats, and houses of worship.
• Legal filings in a Department of Justice criminal case against 15 protesters exposed nearly 30 internal reports detailing the surveillance of unions, nonprofits, and citizens.

Surveillance Details

• The DHS investigation targeted groups including labor unions, teachers, and small-business organizations.
• Tactics included obtaining private financial records and deploying undercover agents to libraries, union halls, and places of worship.
• The operation focused on individuals allegedly conspiring to "impede" federal immigration officers during regional enforcement surges.

VFP Response and Broader Implications

• Michael McPhearson, VFP Executive Director, stated that such intimidation tactics strengthen the organization's resolve to defend constitutional rights.
• VFP also rejected accusations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the U.S. peace movement is part of a foreign-led communist conspiracy.
• The organization linked this domestic repression to broader concerns regarding U.S. militarism, including active military interventions in Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, as well as efforts to increase the Pentagon budget.