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Troops on Standby as Immigration Protests Escalate in Minnesota
MLN — 19 JAN 2026: Tensions continue to rise in Minnesota as protests intensify against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, with about 1,500 U.S. troops reportedly placed on standby for possible deployment, according to U.S. officials.
The move comes amid sustained demonstrations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where federal immigration operations have drawn sharp local opposition.
Federal officials say enforcement efforts are aimed at what they describe as the “worst of the worst,” but critics argue that migrants with no criminal records and even U.S. citizens have been detained.
Community members have responded by organizing informal neighborhood patrols, driving through areas to observe and document the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to residents involved.
Protests have intensified in recent days, particularly outside federal buildings housing immigration offices. While state and city officials have urged demonstrators to remain peaceful, clashes have occurred at times, with law enforcement using crowd-control measures such as tear gas and pepper balls.
A federal judge this week restricted the tactics ICE agents may use against peaceful demonstrators, ruling that observers and non-violent protesters cannot be arrested or subjected to force.
The unrest follows the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman, Renée Good, by an ICE agent earlier this month. Federal authorities say the agent acted in self-defense, while local officials dispute that account and say the victim posed no threat.
The FBI is investigating the incident, though Minnesota officials say they have been denied access to key evidence.A second shooting involving a federal officer occurred days later during an attempted arrest, further fueling anger and mistrust.
The Department of Homeland Security said the officer acted after being attacked, while the injured man’s family has challenged that version of events.
Minnesota has become a focal point of the administration’s broader immigration campaign, which Trump has vowed to continue despite resistance from Democratic-led cities and states. The president has also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, raising concerns about the use of active-duty troops for domestic law enforcement.
