Minneapolis Mayor Requests National Guard “Support”

by Sharon Rondeau

(Jan. 24, 2026) — At a press conference beginning at approximately 5:15 p.m. EST/4;15 CST Saturday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked for “support” from the state National Guard following the killing of a man who DHS claimed brandished a firearm at Border Patrol agents attempting to arrest a criminal illegal alien in the city.

The presser was the second of the day in response to the deadly incident, which reportedly occurred at approximately 9:15 a.m. CST Saturday.

He issued a similar statement on his X account shortly thereafter (see right).

As he had previously, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called for protesters to clear away from the area of the shooting.

“The loss of human life again is a tragedy,” he said. referring to the death of Renee Good on January 7 by an ICE agent. “We understand the hurt and frustration that this causes…If you choose to demonstrate,…do so lawfully,” he said.

Minneapolis police officers will be assisted by National Guard, O’Hara said.

Following O’Hara at the podium, U.S. Senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar said, “We need ICE out of Minnesota,” echoing Frey’s comments which came after Good was declared deceased, though without Frey’s obscenity.

According to President Trump, more than 12,000 illegal-alien criminals have been removed from the state.

At 5:24 p.m. EST, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem launched her own press conference, stating the man with the gun responded to defensive shots fired by the CBP agent “violently.”

The first moments of her statement appeared to mirror that which Border Patrol Operations Commander at Large Gregory Bovino provided several hours before.

Noem said DHS has requested cooperation from the City of Minneapolis in the form of turning illegal criminals over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rather than setting them free on the streets.

Approximately 490 such criminals, Noem said, have been released by the city.

Bottles and ice have been thrown at agents, she said, and earlier Saturday a federal agent lost a finger due to a protester’s attack.

The president reposted a photo of the injury on his Truth Social timeline from Noem’s assistant, Tricia McLaughlin, which she issued at 3:39 p.m. EST, stating, “He will lose the finger.”

Noem claimed Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former vice-presidential candidate, are inciting unruly protests to distract the public’s attention from the corruption she said exists in the form of a group of individuals centered in Minneapolis pilfering state and federal funds from social-service programs over many years.

Trump issued a similar statement earlier.

The amount misused, Trump wrote, could “exceed $100 Billion Dollars.”

Noem accused Walz and Frey of “facilitating” the massive theft.

In a lengthy comment issued shortly after 2:00 p.m. EST, Trump berated Minnesota’s leaders for “massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy.”

“We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW,” he continued. “Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud. The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!”

Thus far, though floating the idea last week, Trump has declined to deploy federal National Guard via declaring the Insurrection Act in effect.

Noem asked Walz to change his behavior and “keep people safe.”

She additionally addressed the intense winter storm moving across the Midwest and South toward the East Coast and Northeast expected to bring down power lines, deliver record-setting cold, render roads treacherous and deposit up to two feet of snow in some areas.

Trump has declared emergencies for the states of Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and more in the Middle and Deep South.

“Stay Safe, and Stay Warm!” he wrote at 4:42 p.m. EST.