Exposed: Cam Higby's Signal Gate infiltration reveals anti-ICE chats tied to Walz ex-staff.

Deleted msgs, doxxing, patrols. Time for accountability?

On January 25, 2026, independent journalist Cam Higby posted a series of screenshots and videos from encrypted Signal groups used by anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis. These groups, with names like "Southside RR Daily" and "Bloomington RR," totaled thousands of members. Higby infiltrated them undercover, capturing evidence of organized efforts to track, follow, and disrupt U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

What happened started with a January 24 shooting. An ICE agent shot Alex Pretti, described by neighbors as part of a "Signal ICE" group chat for rapid responses to agent sightings. Pretti, armed and resisting arrest, was wounded in the leg. Protests erupted, drawing hundreds to north Minneapolis streets. Higby's posts revealed the chats' role in escalating tensions. Messages showed real-time coordination: spotting agents, running license plates, dispatching patrols.

Timing raises questions. The exposure came hours after the shooting, amid ongoing ICE deportations. DHS had deployed extra agents to Minneapolis since January 12, following leaks of internal memos seeking volunteers. Enforcement intensified after a January 15 clash where an agent shot a man during a raid. Activists' chats, active for months, peaked in activity on January 24-25. Why now? Higby's tipsters provided access just as violence spiked, suggesting internal leaks or defections.

Personnel networks tie this to Minnesota Democrats. In one chat, "Tom O’Hoch" – likely Tom Hoch, former Minneapolis mayoral candidate and DFL operative connected to Governor Tim Walz's 2018 campaign – posted: "WE suspect an ‘observer’ was shot." Observers are code for ICE chasers. Hoch's message preceded numerous deletions, concealing details. Amanda Noelle Koehler, a far-left protest organizer and DFL volunteer, appeared in member lists. She has a history of doxxing federal officers. Jeanne Massey, Pretti's neighbor, confirmed his involvement in the chats. These links form a web: former Walz staffers, local activists, access to state license plate databases.

Narratives conceal much. Media reports frame clashes as spontaneous protests against "brutal" deportations, ignoring coordination. Axios noted protesters using data leaks – like the January 2026 "ICE List" exposing 4,500 DHS employees' info – but downplayed activist surveillance. This hides how groups mapped Flock Safety cameras, flagged Bluetooth signals from law enforcement. ICE, meanwhile, uses social media tracking and Palantir contracts worth $250 million annually for counter-surveillance. Both sides spy, but activist tactics get less scrutiny.

The pattern reveals domestic interference networks. Similar Signal groups exist in Portland, where Minnesota activists shared setup tips. This echoes 2020 BLM coordination, but targets federal immigration.

Leaks from hacker group Com in October 2025 doxxed hundreds of DHS officials. It's organized resistance, not random outrage. Who benefits? Progressive politicians like Walz gain from portraying ICE as aggressors, diverting from border failures. 2025 saw 2.4 million encounters; disruptions delay deportations, pleasing sanctuary city advocates.

Accountability falls on multiple parties. Activists face potential charges under 18 U.S.C. § 111 for assaulting federal officers or conspiracy. Higby claims chats show "felonious paramilitary operation." Walz's office denied involvement on January 25, but former staff ties demand investigation. DHS Inspector General launched a probe on January 20 into agent conduct, but activist doxxing warrants FBI review. Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, a DFL ally, has stayed silent.

For institutions, this erodes trust. ICE agents, harassed daily, grow trigger-happy – as in Pretti's shooting. Power shifts: local networks challenge federal authority, risking escalation. Citizens suffer. Minneapolis residents face unsafe streets; 2026 protests caused $1.2 million in damages by January 25. Broader, it polarizes: 62% of Minnesotans support deportations per January poll, yet disruptions portray enforcement as oppressive.

Higby's evidence includes a patrol manual, mutual aid links, emoji codes: broom for delete, ice cube for confirmed sighting. A screen recording listed 754 members in one group. Post-exposure, admin "Moss" messaged: "It will take a minute to get things up and running again." Groups disbanded, but regrouping efforts continue. Shellenberger amplified on January 25, leaking the manual.

This isn't isolated. Activists counter with apps reporting raids. The cycle: leaks fuel protests, protests justify surveillance. Breaking it requires transparency. Higby's work, aided by tipsters, exposed the machinery. Without it, narratives of victimhood persist, concealing coordinated defiance.

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