1500 active-duty soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division stand ready for four-hour deployment to Minneapolis if Gov. Tim Walz requests amid anti-ICE protests after Renee Good shooting. Pentagon placed units on alert Saturday as National Guard mobilizes 3200 troops.
1500 active-duty soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division stand ready for four-hour deployment to Minneapolis if Gov. Tim Walz requests amid anti-ICE protests after Renee Good shooting.
Photo : AP
The Pentagon has placed about 1500 active-duty soldiers from Alaska on four-hour standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis as anti-ICE protests escalate following Renee Good’s fatal shooting by federal agents. Defense chief spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman stated no request came from Gov. Tim Walz yet for Title 10 forces to back Minnesota National Guard or police. Units shifted from 48-hour to rapid response status as prudent planning per US Northern Command.
Minnesota activated 3200 National Guard troops Saturday with Walz authorizing full 13200 if needed. Protests spread after Good’s January 7 death in south Minneapolis sparking clashes at Whipple federal building. DHS reported 2000 arrests since December amid immigration surge. Walz spoke twice with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley who offered support. Active duty troops would aid local authorities only if requested without law enforcement roles due to Posse Comitatus Act. Trump tweeted warnings of Insurrection Act use if state fails to control unrest.
Alaska Troops Prep For Surge
11th Airborne Division paratroopers at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson lead alert units. Four-hour recall covers civil support contingencies like disasters. Engineering teams ready barriers if Walz calls for aid. Minnesota National Guard hit streets supporting police without arrest powers. 3200 activated by Saturday end with more inbound soon. Guardsmen wear reflective vests to distinguish from feds.
Walz called Pentagon readiness an option for several hundred troops. He favors state and neighbor guardsmen for familiarity reasons. Insurrection Act invocation stays off table for now. Renee Good shooting ignited demonstrations at Whipple headquarters. Federal agents fired tear gas at rock-throwing crowds Wednesday night. DHS blames Walz rhetoric for resistance to ICE duties.
Protests Test State Response
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called situation unsustainable with feds outnumbering city police five-to-one. Protesters blocked Whipple traffic Thursday prompting arrests. Friday saw lighter confrontations on sidewalks only.
Also Read: Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger Appears At Minneapolis Anti-ICE Protest — What The Anime Flag Signals
Conservative Jake Lang rallied an alleged anti-Islam counterprotest at City Hall Saturday. People’s Action Coalition clashed physically with his group. Police cleared streets issuing dispersal orders multiple times. House Democrats held St. Paul hearing Friday on ICE conduct. Justice Department probes Walz and Frey for impeding agents. DHS vows continued operations despite violence spikes.
Pentagon planning started Friday before Esper-Milley-Walz calls. Northern Command oversees any Title 10 response requested. Military police from Fort Drum and Bragg also prepped earlier.
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