Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has launched a federal investigation into the funding networks behind Antifa and anti-ICE operations, using the same financial tools that tracked terrorist financing after 9/11 to expose what he calls organized violence against immigration enforcement. Treasury Launches Financial Investigation Into Antifa Networks Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced during an exclusive interview on Human Events Daily that his department has begun investigating the funding sources behind Antifa-linked activities and anti-ICE operations. Bessent revealed that Treasury investigators are using sophisticated financial tracking tools including FinCEN and IRS Criminal Investigators to trace money flows to organized protest networks. The investigation targets coordinated activities such as riots, human blockades, and vehicular interference with federal immigration enforcement operations in cities like Portland and Minneapolis. The Treasury probe follows escalating tensions in Minnesota, where ICE Watch networks have organized systematic resistance to federal immigration operations. Bessent cited specific patterns of coordination including the widespread use of lasers and umbrellas during protests as evidence of organized funding rather than spontaneous demonstrations. The investigation represents the first major federal financial probe specifically targeting anti-ICE resistance networks since Trump’s return to office. Minnesota Incident Triggers Expanded Federal Response The investigation gained urgency following the January 7, 2026 fatal shooting of Renee Good, an ICE Watch activist. The incident sparked immediate protests and highlighted what federal officials describe as an organized network designed to interfere with immigration enforcement. Bessent characterized these activities as part of a broader “business model” that exploits government aid programs while disrupting federal operations through coordinated resistance efforts. Federal investigators are examining connections between anti-ICE networks and widespread fraud schemes in Minnesota involving Medicaid, housing assistance, child nutrition programs, and autism therapy billing. These fraud operations have allegedly diverted billions in taxpayer funds, with some money potentially reaching Somalia and raising concerns about connections to the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab. The Treasury investigation seeks to determine whether nonprofit organizations are creating LLCs to skim government funds that ultimately support organized opposition to immigration enforcement. IRS Overhaul Enables Political Violence Investigations The Trump administration has restructured the IRS Criminal Investigation division to focus on what officials term “political violence networks” rather than traditional tax enforcement. Bessent appointed former IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley as an advisor to target organizations linked to what they characterize as left-wing violence funding. The administration has compiled lists of organizations connected to George Soros and other Democratic donors as part of this expanded investigation into tax-exempt entities supporting political activism. This investigative approach builds on Trump’s executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and directing federal agencies to probe tax-exempt entities funding political violence. FBI Director Kash Patel has emphasized a “follow the money” strategy to dismantle what officials describe as coordinated networks supporting violent opposition to federal policies. The administration justifies this approach by comparing it to post-9/11 financial investigations that successfully tracked terrorist funding sources. Constitutional Concerns Over Federal Enforcement Overreach Legal experts have raised serious constitutional concerns about the administration’s use of federal financial tools to target political opposition groups. Immigration law expert Aaron Reichlin-Melnick described White House direction of IRS investigations against political opponents as potentially constituting “a full-blown federal felony” under existing law. Critics argue that the investigation represents an unprecedented weaponization of federal financial agencies against First Amendment-protected political dissent and activism. The investigation faces additional challenges due to Antifa’s decentralized nature, as it lacks formal organizational structure or centralized funding mechanisms that would make financial tracking straightforward. Despite these concerns, Bessent has compared the current effort to mission-critical post-9/11 terrorism investigations and emphasized that the work has already begun. The administration’s approach signals a significant shift in how federal agencies will respond to organized opposition to immigration enforcement and other conservative policy priorities during Trump’s second term. Sources: EXCLUSIVE: Scott Bessent says Treasury will investigate groups funding Antifa, riots, anti-ICE in Minnesota Bessent probes potential Minnesota fraud, allege ties to terrorist group Al-Shabaab The IRS Is Installing Trump Loyalists to Probe Supposed “Antifa Funding” Trump admin plans IRS overhaul to probe left-leaning groups more easily: WSJ reports