OAN Staff Katherine Mosack and Brooke Mallory
5:20 PM – Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced that he has issued a “warning order” to the Minnesota National Guard to prepare for possible deployment amid a slew of protestors gathering in the Minneapolis area following news that a 37-year-old woman was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press conference that the now-deceased woman, Renee Nicole Good, 37, had “weaponized her vehicle” and attempted to run over federal agents. Noem also added that the agent involved was taken to the hospital after being struck by her car.
The DHS later reiterated to reporters the woman “weaponized” her vehicle and attempted to run over agents, calling it an “act of domestic terrorism.”
Walz’s announcement does not signal a full combat mobilization, but instead serves as a formal notice for troops to prepare for possible deployment. He argued that the move was necessary to “protect the state’s residents” and maintain order as protests grow in the wake of the incident.
On Wednesday, the 37-year-old female driver could be seen in several now-viral video clips appearing to strike an ICE officer with her car after being told to exit the vehicle, prompting the officer to open fire at her windshield and front window.
Despite the Trump administration’s explanation of the incident and its support for the agent involved, protests have erupted in the aftermath of the shooting, filling the streets near the intersection of East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, where it occurred.
Mere hours after the incident, the Democrat governor declared that his state has “soldiers in training” who are “prepared to be deployed if necessary” in a press conference. He framed the federal government’s “surge” of ICE agents as an ideological attack on Minnesota, and urged citizens not to “take the bait” by engaging in violence that could justify a further federal military crackdown.
“From here on, I have a very simple message. We do not need any other help from the federal government,” Walz added. “To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough.”
Additionally, after a reporter questioned whether the state’s National Guard would comply if deployed in Minneapolis against federal agents, Walz responded: “We’ve never been at war with our federal government.” However, he also argued that on his order, the Guard would be under the state’s control, however.
“To Minnesotans, I say this: I feel your anger. I’m angry. They want a show, we can’t give it to them. We cannot. If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully, as you always do. We can’t give them what they want,” he continued.
Minneapolis Democrat Mayor Jacob Frey joined Governor Walz in a sharp rebuke of federal authorities following the shooting.
Frey similarly told residents that the federal government was attempting to provoke a violent response to justify a “military occupation,” pleading with the community not to “take the bait” and instead maintain a peaceful but firm protest.
However, Frey’s own rhetoric toward federal agents was anything but temperate.
During a televised press briefing, he issued a blunt ultimatum to the DHS: “To ICE, get the f*** out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here!” He characterized the federal “surge” as a source of chaos rather than safety, claiming agents were “terrorizing” long-term residents.
The tension in the city is heightened by its geography, as the shooting occurred just blocks from the site of George Floyd’s 2020 death, an event that sparked global unrest and significant destruction within Minneapolis.
Conservative commentators and journalists, including Andy Ngo, have highlighted social media posts from local activist groups that appear to be calling for a “repeat of 2020,” using the fatal shooting as a catalyst for renewed direct action against the federal presence.
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