MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Cameron Kennedy, a Mankato-native, is one of 15 defendants facing a federal indictment for conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer during Operation Metro Surge, his arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, July 1.The indictment lists 16 ways Kennedy and his co-defendants stand accused of conspiring to by force, intimidation or threats to prevent officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from pursuing their duties during the operation.As part of that list, the co-defendants are accused of being affiliated with Direct Action Minnesota, the Black Cat Worker Collective and other allegedly Antifa related groups.The indictment claims they conspired to impede law enforcement by coordinating direct action on Signal, through social media and other encrypted forms of communication.This coordination allegedly included encouraging protesters to act against ICE, build blockades, create hard and soft barriers, organizing trainings, fundraisers and after action reports to support future protests, and to follow and observe ICE operations.If found guilty, Kennedy could face up to 6 years in prison.Kennedy claims the lawsuit is a way of punishing protesters for exercising their first amendment rights to assemble and observe law enforcement.“I cannot find a single case in the indictment of any co-defendants having been accused of violence,” Kennedy said.While Kennedy admits that there has been rhetoric about ice being thrown at ICE officers nobody on trial has been accused of that act.According to the indictment other defendants in the case like Kyle Wagner face charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and interstate threats.Isaac Auman Sant is also accused of interstate stalking.William Morgan faces charges of interstate stalking, assault on a federal officer, and and destruction of federal property.Natasha Rakotz is also charged with assault on a federal officer.Kennedy said he has been a protester involved in causes around the country ever since he was 15 years old, going to Mankato West High School in the 2000’s, protesting against the Iraq War.He has been involved with Food Not Bombs, Occupy Mankato and the 2008 Protest of the Iraq War outside of a Republican Convention at the Xcel Energy Center.Kennedy says the last time he had been arrested for protesting the federal government was that last event when he was around 17 years old. “I learned my politics in Mankato,” Kennedy said.Kennedy reports that he had a lucky rock in his pocket and misdemeanor charges were upgraded to a felony with a terrorism-enhancement after he was accused of using it as a projectile.After the charges were dropped he moved out of Minnesota for a while to pursue activism elsewhere, after losing his job. Kennedy reflects that the charges he faces now would carry a less severe punishment than that previous case.He is currently on administrative leave from his current job as a local sales representative for a company in the Twin Cities area, he says after the court case he may be in danger of losing that position as well. After moving back to Minnesota to live in Minneapolis’s Powerhorn neighborhood 12 years ago, Kennedy says he has kept in touch with local anarchist and activist groups in the Twin Cities.Kennedy claims that he became less involved in activism after protests surrounding the death of George Floyd ended.When operation Metro Surge became active in his neighborhood and he said he he saw community members being arrested dropping kids off from school, or at other appointments, and felt he had to get involved.“They came to my neighborhood, the first time I interacted with ICE they nearly crashed into me at 42 and Cedar,” Kennedy said.The indictment has drawn attention to Facebook and other social media posts from Kennedy, allegedly encouraging protesters to impede ICE Operations during this time. One such post read:“It’s going to get much worse and non-violent ideology and our politicians aren’t going to save us. We need to actively resist anyway (sic) we can to materially stop Nazi occupation forces.”Kennedy stands by that post, and says the phrase to “become ungovernable” has been used as a political rallying cry by many before him on both sides of the political spectrum, including President Donald Trump during past presidential campaigns.The case against Kennedy and his co-defendants has raised concerns among Kennedy’s friends and fellow activists in Mankato.Lenore Busse, a high school classmate and long time fellow protester, said that the conspiracy charges against Kennedy concern her not just because of the issues surrounding ICE, but what it could mean for all forms of protest.“That could be anybody organizing for any kind of need in their community,” Busse said.The classification of groups like Direct Action Minnesota as being part of Antifa, which as a far as Busse knows, is not an actual organized movement is also concerning. Ksenia Miller, another Mankato activist with ties to Kennedy, said cases like this have many in the community concerned.“I think that there is a healthy does of fear in the activist community,” Miller said.ICEMedia’s Midwest Office, said it has no comment on the case at this time, preferring that the indictment speaks for itself.Kennedy is set to appear at his arraignment at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, he plans to plea Not Guilty.The arraignment is set to be part of a larger general status meeting for the case.Click here to download the KEYC News Now app or our KEYC First Alert weather app.Copyright 2026 KEYC. All rights reserved.