The administration of US President Donald Trump on June 3 announced criminal charges against 15 activists in Minnesota, described as members of the decentralized 'anti-fascist' (antifa) movement.
At a June 3 press conference, US Attorney Daniel Rosen said the charges relate to a directive President Trump issued last year to 'combat domestic terrorism and organized political violence'.
Twelve of the 15 defendants were arrested on the morning of June 3, two remain at large, and one was already in custody, Rosen said.
The charges include conspiracy to obstruct or injure federal employees, incitement to violence, federal threats, federal stalking, assault on federal employees, and destruction of government property.
According to the prosecutor, all defendants are linked to the activist group Direct Action Minnesota, formerly known as Twin Cities Direct Action. The group had protested a hard-line immigration crackdown authorized by Trump in Minnesota from December through February.
The operation, called 'Operation Metro Surge,' drew widespread criticism for using excessive force and legally dubious measures, including a policy of entering homes without judicial warrants. In January, two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot dead during the operation, sparking nationwide outrage.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called it 'a show of force to intimidate states that voted against Trump'.
Prosecutor Rosen dismissed concerns that the charges could be seen as an attack on free speech. He insisted the defendants are being prosecuted for their actions, not their words.
When pressed by reporters whether any federal employees had been harmed by the defendants' actions, Rosen replied that figures would be released during prosecution and deemed the question inappropriate.
Since returning to the White House in 2025, Trump has faced questions about using the Justice Department to suppress free speech. In September 2025, he signed an executive order designating antifa as a 'domestic terrorist organization'.
The 94-page indictment describes the defendants maintaining a database of federal vehicles, training protesters in shield use, and organizing blockades around the Bishop Henry Whipple Building, which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has indicted protesters against Operation Metro Surge. In January, the Justice Department indicted nine people, including journalist Don Lemon, after a protest at a church. By February, the number of defendants in that case had grown to 39.
However, the Trump administration has also suffered setbacks in similar prosecution efforts. Several cases have been dismissed due to lack of evidence or after false statements from federal officials were exposed.
