Gov Tim Walz authorizes Minnesota National Guard staging after ICE shooting
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday authorized the Minnesota National Guard to be ready to support local and state law enforcement to protect critical infrastructure and maintain public safety following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis.
Troopers will serve in a support role focused on protecting property, protecting critical infrastructure and allowing local law enforcement to focus on community safety and investigative responsibilities, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
“Minnesotans have met in this moment. Thousands of people have made their voices heard peacefully. Minnesota: Thank you. We have seen a strong peace,” Walz wrote in a statement. “We have every reason to believe that peace will continue. [Wednesday]I have instructed the National Guard to be ready if needed. “They remain ready should the need arise to help keep the peace, ensure public safety and allow peaceful demonstrations.”
Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a news conference following the deadly ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday. (Fox News / Pool)
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Authorized by an executive order, the regulation allows the State’s active duty National Guard personnel, equipment, and facilities to coordinate and support public safety and security services in Minnesota.
The Minnesota State Patrol also mobilized 85 members of its Mobile Response Team to support law enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities.
“We have never been at war with our federal government,” Walz declared at a news conference Wednesday and expressed concerns that he would use the National Guard to push back against federal immigration enforcement action in the state.
A demonstrator confronts a Border Patrol agent during a protest outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minn., on Thursday. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
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“We don’t need any more help from the federal government. [President] Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough. “I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard,” Walz said. “We have soldiers in training and ready to deploy if necessary. I would like to remind you that a warning order is a warning to the nation. “Minnesota will not allow our community to be used as a prop in the national political struggle.”
Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., later urged Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act against Walz and called for his arrest.
Border Patrol federal agents detain a demonstrator protesting the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a citywide rally against increased immigration enforcement outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 8, 2026. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
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Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S.C. “Someone remind him: Donald Trump is Commander in Chief. And federal authority supersedes state authority,” he said in a social media post. “This isn’t an opinion, it’s the Constitution. What Walz is threatening has a name: insurrection. Mr. President, the law is on your side. Use it.”
Walz’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment regarding Walz’s comments.
