Walz Calls Up The National Guard
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to activate the National Guard following the Border Patrol shooting raised expectations that the state was finally prepared to restore order. Instead, what unfolded outside the Whipple Federal Building looked less like security enforcement and more like appeasement theater.
HAPPENING NOW : MN National Guard members have arrived at the site of the federal building, and have been ordered to distribute donuts, coffee and hot chocolate to anti-ice protestors.
They were given reflective vests so protestors don’t confuse them with federal agents. pic.twitter.com/tnvAHiIMKM
— Anthony (@anthonycabassa) January 25, 2026
The Guard was deployed to protect federal property where anti-ICE activists have repeatedly harassed officers, blocked access, and disrupted operations. At the same time, state leadership made a point of distinguishing Guard members from federal agents by outfitting them with reflective vests—effectively advertising, “We’re not ICE.” That choice alone spoke volumes about who the state believed posed the greater threat. What came next made the message unmistakable.
Minneapolis: A man in a blue SUV dumps water from the back of his vehicle to ice the road in front of the Federal building entrance. Federal agents have given a third warning to protesters and appear to be preparing to engage the crowd with crowd control munition. pic.twitter.com/emSrkQWGOY
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) January 15, 2026
Video from Sunday showed National Guard members handing out donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate to anti-ICE protesters. Local media framed the scene as a “refreshing interaction,” while Guard representatives described it as a “demonstration of safety and security.” To critics, it looked like state-sanctioned coddling of a group that had spent days obstructing federal law enforcement.
MINNESOTA WHIPPLE WATCH: “We’re going to get your fucking address!”
“We’re going to fucking find you, and we’re going to fucking kill you! You’re going to fucking die, bitch!”
— ℎ (@chiIIum) January 8, 2026
These gestures did not occur in a vacuum. They came after repeated instances of protesters aiding dangerous activity, including providing water to help ice roadways—creating slick, hazardous conditions for federal vehicles—and participating in property damage and intimidation, including incidents that reportedly frightened children inside a church. The pattern was not one of peaceful assembly, but of escalation.
Trump posts photos of an ICE agent's finger, that was reportedly bitten off by one of the protesters.
SEND IN THE TROOPS!!! pic.twitter.com/qV7cd5Lu4i— Katie Liane (@TheKaterPotater) January 24, 2026
If the goal was de-escalation, the results were hard to find. Later that same day, anti-ICE activists stormed a hotel, smashed through the front doors, and tore through the building after rumors circulated that ICE agents might be inside. The situation devolved into chaos for more than an hour before Minneapolis police and the Minnesota State Patrol finally intervened to assist federal officers. At least one agent appeared injured during the confrontation.