Fact Check: Peggy Flanagan, Anita Smithson, and others in anti-ICE Signal group in Minneapolis?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Amid the intense unrest in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent, claims have been circulating on social media that a private Signal group involving prominent residents and activists is coordinating actions against federal forces. Let us examine the origin of the claim and ascertain the truth below.

Claim: Minneapolis activists and officials run anti-ICE Signal group

Amid the unrest, conservative social media handles are making viral claims about the existence of a Signal group purportedly involving prominent Minneapolis residents and activists coordinating against federal agents.

Some of these posts circulated names and alleged roles of individuals, claiming that many of them served as group admins.

The names mentioned in the post include Amanda Koehler, described as a campaign adviser to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, and Anita Smithson, a candidate for the Minnesota State Senate.

Fact Check: The claim could not be independently verified

These claims have not been verified independently. The Signal group’s existence, its supposed members, and the actions attributed to it could not be confirmed. None of the individuals mentioned has publicly stated that they are part of such a group.

Moreover, no credible news media outlets have reported on this alleged group. 

A fact check of one of these posts by Grok, the AI assistant of X, stated, “The claim originates from journalist Cam Higby's X thread, where he shared screenshots and videos from infiltrated Signal chats used by activists to track ICE agents in Minneapolis."

"He identifies Amanda Koehler (former Walz adviser) as an admin under code name 'HAH,' along with officials like David Snyder and Anita Smithson as coordinators. Mainstream sources (CNN, NYT) cover protests but not this leak specifically. No official denials found; verification ongoing.”

Intensified protests in Minneapolis 

The death of Alex Pretti set off protests and renewed anger in a city already unsettled by a similar deadly shooting weeks earlier. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration. 

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Minneapolis following the shooting, demanding accountability and calling for the withdrawal of federal agents from the city. Demonstrators cited both the killing and broader concerns over federal enforcement tactics.

The Minnesota National Guard was mobilized later Saturday to move 'from a ready posture to active support' at a federal building in Minneapolis and near the scene of the shooting, according to a National Guard spokesperson.

DHS has said Pretti was brandishing a weapon at officers when he was shot. AFGE disputed that claim, stating that 'based on the video currently available, that claim is not clearly established.'