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Minneapolis protests: What's happening in Alaska? Major update as Tim Walz deploys National Guard
Gov. Walz deployed the National Guard as protests intensified, while 1,500 active-duty troops from Alaska remain on standby for possible Minneapolis deployment.
Amid the clashes between protestors and federal agents in Minneapolis and St. Paul on Saturday, Governor Tim Walz mobilized the state National Guard to help bring the situation under control. With the ICE, Border Patrol, and the State National Guard on the streets, a concerning update has come from Alaska.
CBS News reported, citing a US Defense official, that at least 1,500 US Army troops are on stand-by to be deployed in Minneapolis if the situation escalates. The active-duty soldiers are from the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska.
In the event troops are deployed in Minneapolis, the US Army would join the other law enforcement agencies on the ground amid the protests, further heating up the situation.
The city of Minneapolis has become a hotbed for protests ever since the federal immigration operation against Somali immigrants started in December 2025. It has escalated significantly since Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was shot dead by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Amid the protests, on Friday, a federal judge in Minnesota limited the use of certain tactics on protestors. It was followed by massive clashes, on the very next day (January 17).
Tear gas was used by law enforcement as thousands flooded the streets protesting the federal operation in the state. Major political figures in the state, such as House Rep. Ilhan Omar, also took part in a protest on Saturday.
In places, the clashes also turned violent, with CNN reporting that a family of four was injured in the clashes.
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More On What's Happening In Alaska
Per the CBS News report, the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, "is one of the many options" if Trump decides to deploy active-duty US troops in Minneapolis. However, as of now, there has been no official decision on the matter, the US official cited in the report said.
CBS News contacted the Pentagon for comments on the veracity of the reports. The Pentagon did not confirm or deny the claims, saying the US Army is "always prepared" for deployment when necessary. "The Department of War is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon," the statement read.
