In an unexpected gesture, members of the Minnesota National Guard were spotted distributing coffee and donuts to protesters opposed to ICE operations in St. Paul on a recent Sunday.

Footage showed guardsmen in distinctive yellow vests serving the refreshments from the back of a vehicle. A National Guard spokesperson told WCCO-TV that this initiative was intended as a “demonstration of safety and security.”

Earlier this month, the Minnesota National Guard took to social media platform X to inform the public that if their troops were deployed in the Twin Cities area, they would be wearing reflective vests to set them apart from other agencies with similar uniforms.

The guardsmen were seen in action just a day after a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, Alex J. Pretti, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent. The incident occurred during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis when Pretti allegedly confronted officers.

Members of the Minnesota National Guard were seen handing out coffee and donuts to anti-ICE protesters in St. Paul on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (Anthony Cabassa via Storyful)

Federal officials initially claimed Pretti approached agents with a handgun and resisted disarmament.

Bystander video and eyewitness accounts circulating online raised questions about that version of events and whether Pretti was threatening officers when he was shot.

The National Guard, wearing yellow vests, were seen in St. Paul one day after the fatal Border Patrol shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti. (Anthony Cabassa via Storyful)

Pretti’s death happened just weeks after an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good while she allegedly blocked an operation in Minneapolis and drove toward the officer.

After the shooting of Good, Democratic officials, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, encouraged anti-ICE protesters to assemble, prompting a probe by federal prosecutors for the alleged impeding of law enforcement efforts.

One National Guard member described their actions as a “demonstration of safety and security.” (Anthony Cabassa via Storyful)

Walz on Sunday called for President Donald Trump to pull out “his 3,000 untrained agents” from Minnesota “before they kill another American in the street” following Pretti’s death.

Trump confirmed to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that his administration is “reviewing everything” in the wake of the latest shooting.