Signal chats have reportedly been used in Minnesota to coordinate rapid responses to ICE activity and alert or deploy anti-ICE agitators, according to multiple reports.

Independent journalist Cam Higby has published screenshots and descriptions of Signal chats he says were used to share ICE vehicle locations and coordinate additional agitators, claims DX could not independently verify.

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Higby’s claims and characterizations have not been independently verified by The Dallas Express.

Minnesota state Representative Alex Falconer, a Democrat, has publicly acknowledged participating in a Signal network used to organize “community responses” to ICE activity, according to The Washington Times. The same report identified Amanda Koehler, a former campaign strategist for Gov. Tim Walz, as an administrator of a Signal group known as “MN ICE Watch.”

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has forcefully denied claims that she coordinated or operated a Signal chat used to track ICE activity.

Her office rejected claims that Flanagan used the alias “Flan Southside” to organize protests or monitor enforcement operations, according to The Washington Times. The claims surfaced amid scrutiny of Signal groups linked to Minneapolis demonstrations that escalated before a fatal shooting.

“If this is true, and if the Signal chat can be tied to the Pretti shooting, LG Flanagan is in serious trouble,” said former Justice Department Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle, speaking to The Washington Times.

Flanagan’s spokeswoman, Lexi Byler, told The Washington Times, “It’s not true.” She said the lieutenant governor is a vocal opponent of ICE but does not run the Signal chat in question.

The reporting follows the January 24 death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, who was fatally shot during an enforcement operation outside a Minneapolis doughnut shop.

Federal officials have said Pretti was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent acting in self-defense during a confrontation that escalated amid protests.

Following the shooting, Flanagan posted sharply worded comments on X, stating: “A man was killed today because a reckless paramilitary force has been released on American streets against its own citizens. Everyone should be outraged. We need Trump to remove ICE from MN immediately. Stop killing us.”

Additional scrutiny intensified after posts surfaced describing the internal structure and funding pathways connected to the Signal-based networks.

According to material published by Higby, a resources file shared within the Signal groups directed users with financial resources to a website called “Stand with Minnesota,” which in turn linked to a fundraising campaign run by an organization called “Tending the Soil” on the crowdfunding platform Chuffed.

DataRepublican, an independent data analyst, said she compiled a spreadsheet of more than 4,000 donors tied to the campaign and alleged that some contributors appear to be based outside the United States. She identified an early donor as Jonny Soppotiuk, a Canada-based community organizer who is part of Chuffed’s leadership and specializes in fundraising.

The Dallas Express has not independently verified the donor list, the identities of contributors, or any claims of foreign involvement. No federal agency has confirmed whether the funding activity violates U.S. law.

Governor Tim Walz has previously encouraged public protests against ICE activity. Speaking before the shooting, Walz said, “We are not telling people to be silent, but we are not telling people to go out and cause problems. We’re going to cause good trouble,” according to The Washington Times.

Federal authorities have not confirmed any coordination between elected officials and Signal chat organizers. Neither the Minneapolis Police Department nor federal agencies have publicly confirmed any cooperation with the Signal networks. A request for comment from The Dallas Express to the Minneapolis Police Department was not immediately returned.