As of January 18, 2026, approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, are on standby for potential deployment to Minneapolis, Minnesota. This readiness is a response to ongoing protests that erupted after the January 7 shooting of activist Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Good was reportedly shot while attempting to leave the scene in her vehicle.

The protests have intensified alongside a significant increase in the number of ICE agents in the area. In a related incident, an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan man during a targeted traffic stop as he attempted to flee. In light of these developments, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the National Guard to assist local authorities, emphasizing that their focus is on protecting lives, preserving property, and ensuring that residents can safely exercise their First Amendment rights.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has voiced strong concerns regarding the federal government's military presence, describing it as an "invasion" and asserting that it undermines community safety. He highlighted that there are already approximately 3,000 ICE agents and Border Patrol personnel in the area and criticized the decision to send additional military forces as counterproductive.

The federal government has increased immigration enforcement in Minnesota, particularly following allegations of fraud involving daycare operations run by Somali-Americans. This has coincided with the Trump administration's stricter visa policies and the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, leading to a rise in arrests by federal agents. President Donald Trump has framed the federal enforcement actions as necessary to remove violent criminals from the community, labeling protesters as "professional agitators and anarchists."

Additionally, the Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Frey and Governor Walz for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts, although Frey claims he has not received any formal notification of specific allegations. A federal judge has recently imposed restrictions on ICE enforcement tactics in Minnesota, specifically prohibiting the use of crowd dispersal tools against nonviolent protesters during immigration law enforcement operations.