Minneapolis mayor calls military deployment for immigration crackdown unconstitutional

The potential military escalation comes as daily protests have gripped Minneapolis and St. Paul for weeks since the Department of Homeland Security deployed more than 2,000 federal officers to the Twin Cities in early January, triggering hotel closures, postal worker demonstrations, and a federal court ruling last Friday limiting officers’ use of force against peaceful protesters.

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Sunday called a potential military deployment to enforce immigration law in the city “ridiculous and unconstitutional,” urging protesters to remain peaceful as the Pentagon placed about 1,500 active-duty soldiers based in Alaska on standby for a possible deployment. President Donald Trump has since stepped back from the threat, at least for now, according to defense officials.

“It’s ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government,” Frey told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday. “It is not fair, it’s not just, and it’s completely unconstitutional.”

Military standby order

The Pentagon ordered two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division — soldiers who specialize in arctic operations and are based in Alaska — to be prepared to deploy to Minnesota, said two defense officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

One official said the roughly 1,500 troops are standing by to deploy should Trump invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 19th-century law that would authorize sending active-duty military forces into a state. Trump has since backed off that threat, at least for now, according to the officials.

Frey urged demonstrators not to give the administration a pretext for military action. “We are not going to take the bait. We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos here,” he said.

Gov. Tim Walz has mobilized the Minnesota National Guard in response to the federal immigration operations, though no units have been deployed to the streets.

Weeks of protests

Daily protests have been ongoing throughout January since the Department of Homeland Security ramped up immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities by bringing in more than 2,000 federal officers. Videos circulated on social media show federal officers spraying protesters with pepper spray, knocking down doors, and taking people into custody.

On Jan. 16, a federal judge ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including when they are observing officers during enforcement operations.

On Sunday, U.S. postal workers joined the demonstrations, marching through a diverse Minneapolis neighborhood where immigration officers have been seen frequently. Workers chanted “Protect our routes. Get ICE out.” The march passed by the site where an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, during a Jan. 7 confrontation.

“I’ve seen them driving recklessly around the streets while I am on my route, putting lives in danger,” said Peter Noble, a letter carrier who joined the march.

Letter carrier Susan Becker said she came out on the coldest day of the crackdown because she believed it was important to continue speaking out. “These people are by and large citizens and immigrants. But they’re citizens, and they deserve to be here; they’ve earned their place and they are good people,” Becker said.

Hotel closures

At least three hotels in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that protesters said housed immigration officers were not accepting reservations on Sunday. Rooms at the Hilton DoubleTree and IHG InterContinental hotels in downtown St. Paul and at the Hilton Canopy hotel in Minneapolis could not be booked online through at least early February.

The DoubleTree and InterContinental hotels had empty lobbies with signs out front stating they were “temporarily closed for business until further notice.” An InterContinental front desk employee said the property was closing for the safety of the staff.

“The owner of the independently owned and operated InterContinental St. Paul has decided to temporarily close their hotels to prioritize the safety of guests and team members given ongoing safety concerns in the area,” said Taylor Solomon, an IHG Hotels & Resorts spokesperson, in a statement Sunday.

Republican pushback on governor

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Republican whose district includes parts of the Twin Cities area, called for Walz to tone down his comments about fighting the federal government and instead help law enforcement.

“These are not mean spirited people. But right now, they feel like they’re under attack. They don’t know where the next attack is going to come from and who it is. So people need to keep in mind this starts at the top,” Emmer told WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.

Frey, for his part, said the protests underway in Minneapolis represent constitutionally protected activity. “Thousands of Minneapolis citizens are exercising their First Amendment rights,” he said, adding that demonstrations had remained peaceful.