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Independent Journalists Posts New Investigation

Independent Journalists Posts New Investigation

As more details emerge from the anti-ICE Signal chat groups infiltrated by independent journalist Cam Higby, a clearer and far more troubling picture is taking shape in Minnesota. Even a high-level overview of the information now available suggests this is not a loose network of activists reacting emotionally to federal enforcement. What’s being described instead is a structured, well-funded, and politically connected operation that increasingly resembles an organized insurrection—one that appears to enjoy protection, encouragement, and participation from elected officials and sympathetic media figures.


The organization of these Signal groups alone is revealing. They are geographically segmented, often aligned with Minneapolis City Council districts, and extend into St. Paul, Bloomington, and surrounding suburbs. Chats are rotated daily and deleted, a practice that—combined with Signal’s encryption and “no screenshots” feature—creates a built-in system for evading later scrutiny. Participants identify their operational roles using emojis appended to their usernames, signaling who is on patrol, dispatch, logistics, or support during a given shift. This is not spontaneous protest behavior; it is coordinated action.


Funding raises even more serious questions. On Sunday, Data Republican released a publicly downloadable spreadsheet identifying more than 4,000 donors tied to the effort, while simultaneously providing a non-redacted version to federal authorities. According to her reporting, the first donation came from Jonny Soppotiuk, a Canadian community organizer and leadership figure at Chuffed, the crowdfunding platform hosting the campaign. The funding trail leads through “Stand with Minnesota” to a Chuffed campaign run by an organization called Tending the Soil, suggesting not only centralized fundraising but potential foreign involvement in financing domestic obstruction of federal law enforcement.

The roster of participants is perhaps the most explosive element. Alex Pretti, who was killed during Saturday’s confrontation, was reportedly a member of the group, as was Renee Good. Minnesota state Rep. Brad Tabke is alleged to directly coordinate the Scott County ICE Watch Signal chat, handling recruitment, training, dispatch, and logistics out of a church facility in Shakopee. State Rep. Alex Falconer has openly admitted his involvement and recruitment efforts, framing them as “community response” operations to ICE activity.


Other names surface through usernames and listed professions: Minneapolis City Council member Aurin Chowdhury, immigration reporters from Minnesota Public Radio, former Walz staffers, state Senate candidates, and local political operatives serving as admins and dispatchers. The most consequential allegation involves a username believed by collaborators working with Higby to potentially belong to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, though confirmation remains pending.

All of this converges at an address now under renewed scrutiny: 2614 Nicollet, the location where Pretti was obstructing federal officers. The building houses multiple nonprofit and service organizations, adding yet another layer to questions about how these networks intersect with public funding, political leadership, and coordinated resistance.


Taken together, the evidence points to something far more deliberate than protest. It suggests a sustained campaign to interfere with federal law enforcement—organized, financed, and allegedly guided by individuals embedded within Minnesota’s political and media institutions.

Written by Mark Stevens - January 26, 2026