The troops will be used to support state and local law enforcement.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz authorized the state’s National Guard on Jan. 8 to be staged and ready to support local and state law enforcement after an activist’s shooting death inflamed protesters, leading to more clashes with federal officers.
The troops will be used only to protect critical infrastructure and maintain public safety, according to Walz. The governor has repeatedly criticized the thousands of federal immigration agents taking part in a statewide fraud investigation involving the Somali community.
“Yesterday, I directed the National Guard to be ready should they be needed,” Walz said in a statement. “They remain ready in the event they are needed to help keep the peace, ensure public safety, and allow for peaceful demonstrations.”
Walz warned the National Guard to prepare for deployment on Jan. 7 following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the officer fired to protect himself because Good was driving her vehicle toward the officer.
Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have condemned the shooting.
The governor said on Jan. 8 that the state had been excluded from the investigation into the fatal shooting.
In a video posted on X on Jan. 8, Walz called for a day of unity and a moment of silence on Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. for Good.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance disputed Walz’s claims, saying the shooting was under federal jurisdiction.
Protests flared on Jan. 8 amid pleas by Walz to not give in to violence.
Walz was serving his first term as governor when George Floyd died in 2020 during an arrest in Minneapolis, which incited one of the largest waves of civil unrest in U.S. history and resulted in violence, looting, and arson.
“The human desire to lash out in this moment is very real,” Walz told reporters on Jan. 8. “I can tell you that that is the wish of many people. They want to see us turn toward violence.”
