Independent journalist Cam Higby has published undercover findings from encrypted Signal chat groups in the Minneapolis area, revealing a coordinated system used by activists to track and obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.
The network relies on zoned Signal channels — often divided by geographic areas such as South Side or Downtown — that reset daily to maintain operational security, according to Higby.
Indicative of formal military training, the messages follow the SALUTE format — Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, Equipment — to relay observations of suspected federal vehicles or agents, enabling quick counter-response by activists.
Participants adopt role-based emojis to designate functions: dispatchers manage alerts, others handle plate checks or documentation, and mobile teams pursue the leads to block agents from making arrests.
Over the weekend, Higby also shared a leaked document titled “MN Best Practices Guide for Neighborhood or Area Patrol / Monitors: 612” outlining the group’s operational protocols. The guide substantiates Higby’s explanations of the infiltrated Signal group activities, showing the level of coordination and pre-planning involved.
🚨🚨 Here is the entire TRAINING MANUAL for domestic terrorist patrols chasing ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Keep in mind, this is the watered down opsec version.
MUST READ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rUMAJPOxUG
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) January 25, 2026
Advising on every observed action from whistle use to preparing for the deployment of chemical agents, the document also exposes an emoji key for the assigned roles within the Signal chats. Activists are reportedly using tools like Airtable to catalog suspected ICE vehicles, tagging entries as “Confirmed ICE,” “Highly Suspected” or “Abductors” with photos and notes.
However, Higby’s coverage – describing round-the-clock coordination, mutual aid involving educators, dispatch calls and shared plate databases – has led to speculation related to the potential involvement of local officials.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is one of the admins of Signal Chat.
This means the State of Minnesota is behind the protests.
Its not organic its a insurrection at the very top. pic.twitter.com/nq7yyVTuxc
— 0HOUR1 (@0hour1) January 25, 2026
While these online allegations have yet to be verified by official sources, Higby’s Signal ouster resulted in two activists discussing the subsequent fallout, including the exposure of a group admin known as “Flan Southside.”
“THEY ARE EVERYWHERE AND LOCAL POLICE ARE COOPERATING,” Higby posted.
While some ties are currently unknown, the group’s infrastructure includes authoritarian organizations, such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Democratic Socialists of America, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the People’s Forum—a New York-based nonprofit. Some groups receive funding linked to billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who supports socialist initiatives, while other groups have received taxpayer grants tied to the prior Justice40 initiative for climate equity.
Local entities such as the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee also play roles in mobilization alongside the Minnesota House of Representatives—despite acknowledging a lack of jurisdiction.
“Immigration issues are the jurisdiction of the federal government, and state level officials do not have the power to intervene on behalf of detainees,” states the Minnesota House of Representative’s immigration toolkit.
The disclosures have drawn attention to the scale of encrypted coordination amid ongoing federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
While no official response from involved groups or authorities have publicly confirmed or disputed the full structure as presented, a grand jury has recently served top Minnesota officials with subpoenas to appear in an ongoing investigation into obstruction charges.
