Ever wonder who’s bankrolling the anti-ICE protests clogging Minnesota’s streets?
In Minnesota, sixteen activist groups opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have received significant financial backing from the Minneapolis-based Headwaters Foundation for Justice, a nonprofit supported by the Soros family’s Open Society Foundations.
According to an independent analysis, Headwaters has provided $3,321,013 in funding and non-cash assistance to these groups since 2014. The funding has supported efforts to monitor and protest ICE, including a demonstration at Minneapolis–St. Paul airport on January 23 that led to around 100 arrests.
Headwaters, which did not respond to requests for comment, has funneled money to groups like Jewish Community Action ($183,013), Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha ($1,085,750), and Unidos MN ($90,250), among others, The Daily Caller reported. These organizations, many of which coordinated “ICE Out” marches on January 23, are openly mobilizing against immigration enforcement. Open Society Foundations, tied to George Soros and now led by his son, donated $300,000 to Headwaters in 2020 alone.
The January 23 protest at the airport turned messy, with police reporting that the crowd blocked a roadway and violated permit conditions. Jewish Community Action board member Emma Kippley-Ogman was among the roughly 100 arrested. Her words in an op-ed ring with defiance: “We cannot keep on with business as usual when our federal government is engaged in escalating state terror right here, right now.”
That kind of rhetoric, backed by millions in funding, raises eyebrows about the real agenda here. Law and order shouldn’t be up for sale to the highest bidder, yet these groups seem equipped to challenge it at every turn.
Beyond the airport chaos, groups like Unidos MN are planning “healthcare worker resistance training” this February to teach medical staff how to shield patients during ICE searches. Meanwhile, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha has urged supporters to call a hotline if employers threaten them for skipping work to join marches. It’s a clear push to prioritize activism over responsibility.
Tragically, the protests have coincided with loss of life. On January 23, the Indigenous Protector Movement posted on Instagram about a fatal incident, stating, “Federal agents shot and killed a man this morning.” Their plea for supplies like gas masks and legal observer vests hints at escalating confrontations.
Earlier, on January 7, activist Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent while volunteering for MN ICE Watch, according to reports. The Indigenous Protector Movement, which just received $10,000 from Headwaters, didn’t comment on these events. These deaths underscore the volatile stakes of these funded protests.
Some Headwaters-funded groups, like COPAL and MN8, are training “legal observers” to tail immigration agents, with COPAL’s handbook outlining steps to document enforcement actions. Headwaters has awarded $360,000 to MN8 and $10,000 to COPAL as recently as January 2026. This isn’t just protest—it’s organized surveillance of federal officers doing their jobs.
Gender Justice, which received $62,500 from Headwaters, is soliciting reports of alleged mistreatment by ICE agents, including claims of slurs and misgendering during a Thursday testimony to the Minnesota Senate. Their website seeks stories of “gender-based” grievances for potential lawsuits. It’s a tactic that seems more about narrative than justice.
Then there’s the focus on specific communities, like Somali migrants, by groups such as CAIR Minnesota ($140,000 from Headwaters) and Ayada Leads ($280,000). While advocacy is their stated goal, the overlap with political figures like Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has criticized ICE and dodged condemning violence against agents in a January 11 interview, muddies the waters. This isn’t just grassroots—it’s a calculated network.
Headwaters isn’t slowing down, announcing $120,000 in new grants on Instagram last Wednesday, alongside other 2025 grants listed on their site. Their post framed the street actions as a noble struggle, which many will see as a slap in the face to law-abiding citizens. The question is whether this funding will fuel more disruption or accountability.
Minnesota’s taxpayers and ICE agents are caught in the crosshairs of a well-oiled activist machine. If philanthropy can bankroll blockades and surveillance of federal officers, what’s stopping it from dismantling other pillars of order? The fight over immigration enforcement just got a multi-million-dollar megaphone, and it’s not speaking for the silent majority.
