Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Mobilizes National Guard Amid Anti-ICE Protests

 Jacki Thrapp 01/18/26  

Minnesota National Guard members are wearing bright vests over their uniform so anti-ICE protesters can ‘distinguish them from other agencies.’

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mobilized his state’s National Guard on Jan. 17 and will have soldiers wear bright yellow reflective vests over their uniforms so protesters can “distinguish them from other agencies” such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the Minnesota National Guard.

“These Soldiers are staged, and vehicles and personnel are ready to respond at locations across the metro.,” Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya, state public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email on Jan. 18.

Minneapolis Equity Report Urged Using Somali Muslim Genital Mutilation to ‘Learn About Their Culture’

Jan 18, 2026 3:00 pm By Daniel Greenfield

“Muslim (Somali) Culture: Value Acquiescence to Allah as supreme authority” vs “American Culture: Value the supremacy of the individual.”

How far did Minneapolis and Minnesota go in urging Americans to abandon their values and accept Somali Muslim ‘cultural values’?

A report from the Hennepin County Medical Center that was posted on the Minneapolis Minnesota Department of Health site was titled “caring for women affected by female genital cutting” or FGM, a Muslim practice common among Somalis of mutilating the genital areas of young girls, “Striving for Health Equity’.

Judge Restricts ICE Actions Against Protesters in Minnesota

Kimberly Hayek  

1/16/2026|Updated: 1/17/2026 

A federal judge in Minnesota on Friday ruled that federal immigration agents can’t detain or use nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools on peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when these people are observing the agents.

The decision, handed down by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, stems from a lawsuit brought last month by six local activists.

These individuals, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Minnesota, said that Homeland Security (DHS)  personnel were infringing on their First Amendment rights when they observed federal agents performing their duties.

After the ruling, Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, issued a statement saying her agency was taking “appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.”