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Federal authorities are investigating alleged coordinated Signal group chats used by anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists in Minneapolis to track, identify, and impede federal law enforcement officers, FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday.
Patel told conservative commentator Benny Johnson in an interview that the bureau opened an investigation after independent journalist Cam Higby posted a viral thread on X that said people were using the encrypted messaging app to share information about agents’ movements.
“We immediately opened up that investigation because that sort of Signal chat being coordinated with individuals, not just locally in Minnesota, but maybe even around the country — if that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people,” Patel said.
“You cannot create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm’s way,” he added.
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FBI Director Kash Patel looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to the press after U.S. military actions in Venezuela at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan. 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Higby said he “infiltrated” multiple Signal groups over several days, documenting what he described as structured efforts to identify suspected federal vehicles, relay license plate information, and dispatch members to locations where ICE agents were believed to be operating.
The investigation has drawn concern from free speech advocates, who say coordination around law enforcement activity is not inherently illegal and must be carefully distinguished from criminal behavior.
“There are legitimate reasons to share such information, including enabling members of the public to observe and document law enforcement activity and to hold officials accountable for misconduct,” Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told NBC News.
A person holds an anti-ICE sign as demonstrators rally during a general strike protesting U.S. President Donald Trump’s deployment of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
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“Given this administration’s poor track record of distinguishing protected speech from criminal conduct, any investigation like this deserves very close scrutiny,” he said.
Patel told Johnson that while peaceful protest and lawful firearm ownership are constitutionally protected, coordinated efforts that place law enforcement officers in danger or violate federal statutes are not.
A protester, left, and a federal law enforcement officer argue outside of a house on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
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The FBI director said the bureau is examining whether the alleged coordination crossed legal thresholds, including the doxxing of agents or threats against officers and their families.
“As I’ve said from day one, we will protect law enforcement. We will make sure they have the security and safety to do their jobs,” he said. “We’ll also ensure that civilians have the ultimate protection of the First and Second Amendment.”