Walz Activates National Guard as Protesters Decry ICE Shooting

Minnesota's governor is putting the National Guard on standby as protests grow over a fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis. Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday authorized the Minnesota National Guard to be "staged and ready," citing concerns from local officials about whether city and county agencies could handle ongoing demonstrations, the Hill reports. His order instructs Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke to have troops, equipment, and facilities prepared for activation "at a time deemed appropriate." Brig. Gen. Simon Schaefer said the Guard, which has about 13,000 members, has already begun equipment checks and notifications in case it's called in.

The unrest follows the Wednesday killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good in south Minneapolis. The ICE officer has been identified by the Star Tribune as Jonathan Ross. Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have challenged the claim by several federal officials that Ross was acting in self-defense, with Frey publicly telling ICE to leave the city, arguing the agency is undermining public safety. Video of the encounter has been analyzed by multiple news agencies, and Frey said the videos show the self-defense claim is "garbage," the AP reports. Democrats in Congress and in state and local offices have called for Ross to be criminally charged as the Department of Homeland Security continues what it calls its biggest-ever immigration enforcement operation, Fox 9 reports. The operation is linked to a Trump administration investigation of alleged social services fraud in Minnesota.