As of January 18, 2026, approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, currently stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, are prepared for potential deployment to Minneapolis, Minnesota. This readiness is a response to protests that erupted following the January 7 shooting of activist Renee 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 due to a notable increase in ICE agents in the area, with reports indicating that around 3,000 ICE agents and Border Patrol personnel are already present. 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 expressed concern over the federal government's deployment of military personnel, describing it as an "invasion" and asserting that it undermines community safety. He criticized the decision to send additional military personnel, stating, "I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government."

President Donald Trump has not yet made a decision regarding the deployment of the active-duty troops but has indicated the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to address the protests. He has framed federal enforcement as necessary to remove violent criminals from the community, characterizing the protesters as "professional agitators and anarchists" and questioning the motivations behind local opposition to federal law enforcement efforts.

Additionally, the Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Frey and Walz for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts, although Frey claims he has not been officially informed of any specific allegations. The state has seen intensified immigration enforcement since the beginning of the year, particularly following allegations of fraud involving daycare operations run by Somali-Americans. The Trump administration has implemented stricter visa policies and terminated Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals, leading to increased arrests by federal agents. 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.