A sweeping new report is raising alarms about the Democratic Socialists of America’s escalating campaign against U.S. immigration enforcement, arguing the group’s rhetoric and street activism mirror narratives pushed by hostile foreign governments.
According to Fox News, the findings come amid a surge of protests following the killing of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti during a federal operation involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In the days after the incident, activists descended on the city, including a protester identified as “Andrew,” who told local media he flew in from Colorado to help force federal agents out of Minneapolis.
Soon after, Democratic Socialists of America leaders amplified the unrest online, describing the killing as a “murder” and celebrating the participation of national party figures.
Local chapters followed up by organizing training sessions on protective gear for demonstrations, referring to law enforcement as “the pigs.”
Within weeks, protests expanded beyond government buildings. Demonstrators shut down a Target store in Minneapolis’ Dinkytown neighborhood, accusing the retailer of backing what activists called ICE’s “campaign of terror.”
The local DSA chapter later bragged on social media that it had successfully closed the store.
Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley appeared on camera, describing herself as the “minority leader of the Democratic Socialists caucus” and said she was “joining tons of socialists” to confront ICE and corporate supporters.
In Los Angeles, adult DSA members joined student walkouts demanding an end to ICE raids, an effort the organization publicly praised.
According to a report released by the Network Contagion Research Institute, these actions are part of a broader messaging strategy that closely aligns with propaganda used by foreign adversaries of the United States.
“The same rhetoric used to attack America abroad gets recycled at home to attack American law enforcement. Different stage, same script,” said Adam Sohn, the institute’s co-founder. “The language doesn’t stop overseas.”
The Princeton-based nonprofit analyzed DSA communications and found what it calls “narrative convergence,” where domestic anti-ICE messaging overlaps with talking points favored by the governments of Venezuela, Cuba, and China.
The report notes that DSA regularly frames U.S. immigration enforcement as state terror tied to American foreign policy, using slogans such as “No ICE, No War” and “Socialism Beats Fascism.”
Researchers also documented DSA delegations to those countries since 2021, followed by coordinated advocacy campaigns opposing U.S. sanctions and defending foreign regimes.
The institute concluded that while it is not alleging criminal wrongdoing, the pattern “warrants further scrutiny,” including whether the group should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Sohn is scheduled to testify on Tuesday before the House Ways and Means Committee at a hearing titled “Foreign Influence in American Non-profits: Unmasking Threats from Beijing and Beyond.” Democratic Socialists of America did not respond to a request for comment.
Even as congressional scrutiny ramps up, DSA chapters continue planning new protests, including another coordinated push targeting Target stores, insisting ICE’s “legitimacy is dwindling” while vowing to escalate pressure nationwide.
