At a Glance
- Pentagon has placed 1,500 troops on prepare-to-deploy orders for Minnesota
- President Trump has publicly floated invoking the Insurrection Act amid anti-ICE protests
- Protests erupted after ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7
- Why it matters: Federal response could escalate tensions between Washington and state leaders over immigration enforcement
The Pentagon has readied roughly 1,500 soldiers for possible deployment to Minnesota as anti-ICE demonstrations intensify following the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good. Two battalions of the 11th Airborne Division received prepare-to-deploy orders should President Trump invoke the Insurrection Act, two defense officials told News Of Los Angeles.
Troop Alert Follows Shooting and Church Protest
The president has publicly floated using the 1807 law, though he told reporters Friday he “doesn’t think” he needs to take that step. The mobilization coincides with a Justice Department pledge to investigate demonstrators who disrupted a Sunday service at St. Paul’s Cities Church, where protesters believe an ICE field office director serves as a pastor.
Video from inside the church shows activists chanting “ICE out!” and the name of Good, who was shot by an ICE officer while in her car in Minneapolis. News Of Los Angeles has obtained cellphone footage that appears to have been recorded by Jonathan Ross, the officer who fired the fatal shot.
Church Leadership Links to Federal Agency
David Easterwood is listed on the church website as both a pastor and director of discipleship. During an October press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the same individual identified himself as acting field office director for enforcement and removal operations in St. Paul. He was not present when protesters entered the sanctuary.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the demonstration. “Agitators aren’t just targeting our officers. Now they’re targeting churches, too,” she said, adding that the agency “will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers” because it endangers them and their families.
Federal Agencies Mobilize in Twin Cities
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Thursday that Trump is considering invoking the Insurrection Act over the unrest. “If anything doesn’t change with Governor Walz, I don’t anticipate that the streets will get any safer or more peaceful,” she said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that she had spoken with the church’s pastor and vowed that “attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.” She added the department would “remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes” in Minnesota, signaling continued federal pressure on the Twin Cities.
The FBI has asked agents nationwide to volunteer for temporary duty in Minnesota to support federal operations there.
Local Leaders Reject Federal Presence
More than 3,000 federal agents have been sent to Minneapolis in recent weeks against the wishes of city and state officials. The White House describes the surge as an anti-corruption and immigration-enforcement operation.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told CNN that deploying troops would be “not fair, it’s not just, and it’s completely unconstitutional.”
Civil-rights advocate Nekima Levy Armstrong, who joined the church protest and leads the Racial Justice Network, defended the action. “When you think about the federal government unleashing barbaric ICE agents upon our community and all the harm that they have caused, to have someone serving as a pastor who oversees these ICE agents, is almost unfathomable to me,” she told The Associated Press.
Community Impact Spreads Beyond Protests
- St. Paul Public Schools will offer virtual learning for students uncomfortable attending class
- Two downtown hotels, the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront and DoubleTree St. Paul Downtown, have temporarily closed citing safety concerns
- Former CNN anchor Don Lemon livestreamed the church protest on YouTube, drawing a warning from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon that “a house of worship is not a public forum for your protest”
An ICE spokesperson reiterated that the agency “does not go to schools to arrest children,” though agents may enter a campus if a “dangerous or violent criminal illegal alien felon” is present.
Key Takeaways
- Federal forces already in Minnesota have sparked weeks of demonstrations
- The potential Insurrection Act move would mark a dramatic escalation
- Local institutions-from schools to hotels-are adjusting operations amid uncertainty
- The standoff shows no sign of easing as federal officials pledge continued prosecutions
