Overview
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said only the president will decide whether to invoke the law, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem affirmed he has the constitutional authority to do so.
- Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey urged de-escalation and pressed for ICE to leave, while Minnesota’s lawsuit to curb the federal operation has not secured an injunction.
- Protests surged after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good and another officer wounded Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis on January 14, with nighttime clashes that included tear gas.
- City leaders say roughly 3,000 federal agents are already deployed in Minneapolis as part of the expanded immigration operation.
- Polling shows broad skepticism of the approach, with majorities disapproving of Trump’s handling of immigration and more Americans opposing than supporting sending additional federal forces to Minnesota.