Soros-Backed Nonprofit Funded Anti-ICE Activism That Led to Mass Arrests in Minnesota

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – A network of left-wing activist groups working to obstruct federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota has received millions of dollars from a nonprofit tied to the Soros family, according to an investigation by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Minneapolis-based Headwaters Foundation for Justice has distributed more than $3.3 million in cash and in-kind support since 2014 to at least 16 organizations now mobilizing against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Several of those groups helped organize “ICE Out” protests on Jan. 23, including a demonstration at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport that resulted in roughly 100 arrests after protesters blocked roadways and violated permit conditions.

Headwaters has received significant backing from Open Society Foundations, the global nonprofit empire founded by George Soros and now led by his son. Tax records show Open Society Foundations donated $300,000 to Headwaters in 2020 alone. Neither Headwaters nor Open Society responded to requests for comment.

Groups funded by Headwaters include Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota, Unidos MN, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha, Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Freedom Fund, and multiple LGBT activist organizations. Some of these groups openly encourage resistance to ICE operations, including training “legal observers” to follow agents, film enforcement actions, and challenge officers during arrests.

Several organizations receiving funding also focus on shielding Somali migrants from deportation, even as Minnesota has faced major welfare fraud scandals tied to the same community. One such group previously helped launch the political career of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a vocal critic of ICE who has declined to clearly condemn violence against immigration agents.

The funding trail underscores how billionaire-backed progressive nonprofits are fueling organized opposition to federal law enforcement, even as tensions escalate and public safety is put at risk.

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