Minneapolis mayor stands defiant over the possibility of troopers in the streets: ‘It is not fair, it’s not just, and it’s completely unconstitutional’

The mayor of Minneapolis asserted on Sunday that deploying active-duty soldiers to Minnesota to assist with a  is an absurd and unconstitutional notion, as he called on protesters to maintain peace so the president would not perceive a need to deploy U.S. military forces.

Protests have persisted throughout January following the Department of Homeland Security’s escalation of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which involved bringing in over 2,000 federal officers.

Three hotels in the area—where protesters claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were staying—ceased accepting reservations on Sunday.

On Sunday, U.S. postal workers marched through a diverse neighborhood—where immigration officers have been frequently sighted—chanting: “Protect our routes. Get ICE out.”

Soldiers specialized in arctic duty told to be ready

Two defense officials reported on Sunday that the Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers based in Alaska—specialized in operating in arctic conditions—to be prepared for potential deployment to Minnesota.

The officials, who spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive military plans, noted that two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division have received prepare-to-deploy orders.

One defense official stated that the troops are on standby to deploy to Minnesota if President Donald Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.

The rarely used  would empower the president to send military troops into Minnesota, where protesters have been confronting federal immigration agents for weeks. He has since retracted the threat, at least for the time being.

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

Thousands of Minneapolis residents are exercising their First Amendment rights, and the protests have remained peaceful, Frey said.

“We are not going to take the bait. We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own form of chaos here,” Frey stated.

Gov. Tim Walz has activated the Minnesota National Guard, though no units have been deployed to the streets.

Some hotels close or stop accepting reservations amid protests

At least three hotels in Minneapolis-St. Paul—identified by protesters as housing officers involved in the immigrant crackdown—were not accepting reservations on Sunday. Rooms could not be booked online until early February at the DoubleTree and IHG InterContinental hotels in downtown St. Paul and at the Hilton Canopy hotel in Minneapolis.

Over the phone, a front desk employee at the InterContinental hotel said it was closing for staff safety but declined to specify the concerns. The DoubleTree and InterContinental hotels had empty lobbies with signs stating they were “temporarily closed for business until further notice.” The Canopy hotel was open but not accepting reservations.

The Canopy has been the site of loud protests by anti-ICE demonstrators aimed at preventing agents from resting.

“The owner of the independently owned and operated InterContinental St. Paul has decided to temporarily close the hotel to prioritize the safety of guests and team members amid ongoing safety concerns in the area,” IHG Hotels & Resorts spokesperson Taylor Solomon said in a statement Sunday. “All guests with existing reservations can contact the hotel team for assistance with alternative accommodations.”

, Hilton, and the local operator of the Hampton Inn Lakeville hotel near Minneapolis apologized after the property refused to accommodate federal immigration agents. While Hampton Inn locations fall under the Hilton brand, the Lakeville hotel is independently operated by Everpeak Hospitality, which stated the cancellation was inconsistent with their policy.

US postal workers march and protest

Peter Noble joined dozens of other U.S. Post Office workers on Sunday—their only day off from mail routes—to march against the immigration crackdown. They passed by the site where an immigration officer shot and killed , a U.S. citizen and mother of three, during a Jan. 7 confrontation.

“I’ve seen them driving recklessly through the streets while I’m on my route, endangering lives,” Noble said.

Letter carrier Susan Becker said she participated in the march on the coldest day since the crackdown began because it is crucial to continue conveying to the federal government that she believes their actions are wrong. She noted that residents on her route have reported ICE agents breaking into apartment buildings and apprehending people in shopping center parking lots.

“These people are largely citizens and immigrants. But they’re citizens, and they deserve to be here; they’ve earned their place and are good people,” Becker stated.

Republican congressman asks governor to tone down comments

A Republican U.S. House member called for Walz to moderate his remarks about opposing the federal government and instead begin supporting law enforcement.

Many of the officers in Minnesota are neighbors simply performing the jobs they were assigned, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.

“These are not malicious individuals. But right now, they feel under attack. They don’t know where the next attack will come from or who it will be. So people need to remember that this starts at the top,” Emmer said.

Across social media, videos have been posted of federal officers pepper-spraying protesters, breaking down doors, and forcibly detaining individuals. On Friday, a  stipulated that immigration officers cannot detain or use tear gas on peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including when observing the officers during the Minnesota crackdown.

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Contributing were Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin in Washington; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles.