The Minnesota National Guard has been mobilized to assist local law enforcement on Saturday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops in Minnesota, as tensions between protestors and federal immigration officers continue to rise.

In a post on X, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said that the Minnesota National Guard was mobilized to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies under the direction of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

"They are not deployed to city streets at this time, but are ready to help support public safety, including the protection of life, preservation of property and the rights of all who assemble peacefully," the post read.

The Minnesota National Guard also confirmed on X that its members are "on standby, ready to assist local law enforcement and public safety agencies."

"If our members are activated, they will be wearing reflective vests, as pictured here, to help distinguish them from other agencies in similar uniforms," it added.

Last week, Walz authorized the Guard to be staged and ready to support local and state law enforcement in protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining public safety following a shooting involving federal immigration enforcement agents in south Minneapolis.

Tensions between local law enforcement and federal authorities have been rising, especially after Trump suggested on Thursday that he might invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump called Minnesota politicians "corrupt" and urged them to "stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE."

Walz urged Trump to back down from the rhetoric on Thursday, calling on him to "turn the temperature down" and "stop this campaign of retribution."

"There is no modern precedent for this level of federal overreach," Ilhan Omar, a Democrat House representative of Minneapolis described the federal deployment in Minnesota during a congressional hearing on Friday.

Trump later appeared to back off from using the Insurrection Act, saying, "I don't think I need it right now," when asked by reporters before leaving the White House for Florida on Friday.

On January 7, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, triggering nationwide protests. The Trump administration said Good was allegedly attempting to run over law enforcement officers with her vehicle, while local officials said video footage suggests she did not pose a threat, and that the agent involved acted recklessly. 

Protests intensified following the second ICE-related shooting in about a week. 

(With inputs from Xinhua)