Faith Leaders Speak Out After DHS Sent Undercover Agents to Spy on MN Churches

People prepare food packages for immigrants at the Dios Habla Hoy church, which became a center for locals opposing immigration raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 2026. Pastor Sergio Amezcua started the food aid program in early December to support undocumented migrants who were reluctant to do their shopping for fear of encountering immigration agents.

Roberto Schmidt / AFP

Minnesota faith leaders are sounding the alarm regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) surveillance of churches during and after Operation Metro Surge, President Donald Trump’s violent immigration crackdown in the state earlier this year.

A motion filed in federal court on August 13 revealed that DHS agents surveilled multiple churches in the Twin Cities — as well as schools, libraries, and restaurants — following the launch of Operation Metro Surge in December 2025. The surveillance operation in the Twin Cities lasted through the spring of 2026, and culminated in the prosecution of the Minnesota 15, a group of activists facing federal conspiracy charges after organizing protests against Trump’s deportation campaign. Read full story on Truth Out.