DPS, National Guard brief joint plan for ICE protests
Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety and the Minnesota National Guard are rolling out a coordinated protest safety plan for this coming weekend, saying they expect multiple demonstrations both for and against ICE’s presence in the Twin Cities after two recent ICE‑involved shootings in Minneapolis. The briefing, announced for Friday, comes against the backdrop of Operation Metro Surge, which has dumped more than 2,000 federal immigration agents into Minnesota in six weeks, and after an ICE officer killed Renee Good in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7 and another agent shot and wounded a man in north Minneapolis a week later. FOX 9 notes that the Guard is formally at the table for this plan, even as President Trump has publicly threatened — then temporarily walked back — using the Insurrection Act to send federal troops into Minneapolis, a red line that has Twin Cities residents on edge after 2020. Online, organizers are already circulating march plans and warning about the risk of another "militarized" response, while business owners along Lake Street and in Cedar‑Riverside say any misstep — from federal agents or Guard troops — could drive away what fragile customer traffic they have left. Between the lawsuits, impeachment chatter and now a formal Guard‑DPS protest posture, this weekend is shaping up as a test of whether state and federal forces can keep the lid on without lighting the fuse again.
📌 Key Facts
- DPS and the Minnesota National Guard announced a joint 'public safety briefing' to outline weekend protest plans, explicitly tied to anticipated demonstrations for and against ICE in Minnesota.
- The coordination follows two ICE‑involved shootings in Minneapolis — the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good in south Minneapolis and a non‑fatal north‑side shooting exactly one week later.
- Operation Metro Surge has deployed more than 2,000 ICE and related federal agents to Minnesota in about six weeks, and Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis before saying there is 'no reason right now' to do so.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge was launched in December 2025 to apprehend the 'worst of the worst' criminal illegal aliens in Minnesota, including members of violent gangs such as Tren de Aragua, with over 150 arrests reported in the first weeks, many involving serious crimes like child exploitation and drug trafficking.
DHS Highlights Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens Arrested in Minnesota, Including Child Predators — Department of Homeland Security
Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States, with approximately 81,000 Somalis comprising about 1.4% of the state's total population of 5.7 million as of 2024 estimates, many resettled through federal refugee programs since the 1990s.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
Somali immigrants in Minnesota have been overrepresented in major fraud scandals, such as the $250 million Feeding Our Future case involving misuse of federal child nutrition funds during COVID-19, with per capita fraud involvement higher than the state average, linked to program design flaws and relaxed oversight.
What to Know About Trump's Targeting of Somalis in Minnesota — TIME
Per capita crime rates among Somali immigrants in Minnesota are higher than those of native-born residents for certain offenses, including violent crimes and fraud, with Somalis (1.4% of population) accounting for an estimated 10-15% of gang-related arrests in the Twin Cities area as of 2025 data.
Yes, Somali Immigrants Commit More Crime Than Natives — City Journal
Renee Good, a 37-year-old Black American citizen and mother of three, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026, during an immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis, with the incident occurring amid attempts to arrest individuals in a concentrated immigrant neighborhood.
Killing of Renee Good — Wikipedia
Immigrant communities in Minnesota, including Somalis and Venezuelans, contribute positively to the economy through business ownership and tax payments, with Somali-owned businesses generating over $1 billion in annual revenue and employing thousands, despite overrepresentation in certain crimes.
5 things to know about the Somali community in Minnesota after Trump's attacks — PBS NewsHour
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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