Demonstrators clash with ICE in Minneapolis, intensifying protests
Protests intensified in Minneapolis as thousands of people clashed with ICE over enforcement tactics following a fatal shooting.
As protests continue in Minnesota amid ongoing tensions between local demonstrators and federal agents, Gov. Tim Walz and local safety officials announced on Saturday, Jan. 17, that the Minnesota National Guard is “mobilized” and on standby if needed.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said in a Jan. 17 Facebook post that the Minnesota National Guard had been activated “at the direction of Governor Walz” and was “operating in support of local law enforcement and emergency management agencies.”
The ministry further clarified in a post that no troops were deployed.
“While the Minnesota National Guard is not deployed to city streets at this time, we stand ready to assist in public safety, including protecting life, protecting property, and supporting the right of all people to peacefully assemble,” officials said in a post.
Walz’s order comes after President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act on January 15, effectively giving him the authority to deploy US troops into the country. Minnesota has been in turmoil since the January 7 murder of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross.
At a press conference following Good’s killing, Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to “get the (expletive) out of Minneapolis.” The Justice Department has since opened an investigation into Frey and Walz, and federal authorities say they are suspected of conspiring to obstruct federal immigration law enforcement in the state.
Clashes between federal agents and Minnesotans occurred across the state. On January 14, a second ICE-involved shooting occurred in Minneapolis, where a man was shot in the leg after three men reportedly hit officers with broomsticks and shovels.
Here’s what you need to know as the Minnesota National Guard remains on standby to assist as protests and clashes with federal agents intensify.
Minnesota National Guard to wear reflective vests when deployed
“Minnesota National Guard members are on standby and ready to assist local law enforcement and public safety agencies. If activated, members will wear reflective vests…to distinguish them from other agencies wearing similar uniforms,” the Minnesota National Guard said in a Jan. 17 X post.
“These Minnesota National Guard members live, work, and serve our state, and their focus is to save lives, protect property, and ensure Minnesotans can safely exercise their First Amendment rights,” the post continues.
According to the Minnesota National Guard’s 2024 annual report, the organization includes approximately 13,000 citizen-soldiers and airmen.
USA TODAY contacted the Minnesota National Guard on Saturday, Jan. 17, but did not receive a response.
Protesters gather at the Minnesota March Against Fraud
Jake Lang, a conservative influencer with about 74,000 followers on Facebook who organized the Minnesota March Against Fraud in front of Minneapolis City Hall on January 17, encountered counter-protesters in Minneapolis, some of whom sprayed him with silly string and water.
Lang stood in front of Minneapolis City Hall around 1 p.m. and gave a fist pump in the air. A counter-protester was next to him and tried to block Lang with a trash can lid with a fist painted on it. At one point, Lang grabbed the lid of the trash can and bent it. Opponents bent it back into its original shape. The exchange led Anderson to accuse counter-protesters of being aggressive.
The protest, organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump, drew about 150 people to the federal courthouse across the street in downtown Minneapolis. The courthouse is different from the federal immigration courthouse in Fort Snelling, which has been the site of consistent anti-ICE protests this month.
The protests came after former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said at least half of the $9 billion paid through Minnesota’s Medicaid Waiver Program since 2018 may be fraudulent.
Protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the large number of U.S. immigration and customs agents being hired in the Arctic state. More than 2,000 ICE agents were sent to the state on January 4, days before Good was shot and killed in south Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security later announced plans to send hundreds more.
Contributed by Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times, part of the USA TODAY Network
