The Pentagon has placed roughly 1,500 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers on standby for a possible deployment to Minnesota after President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to unrest tied to immigration enforcement operations, defense officials said late Saturday.
The troops are drawn from two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and trained for cold-weather operations. Defense officials described the move as “prudent planning” in case violence escalates, stressing that no decision has been made to deploy the soldiers.
The White House said it is routine for the Pentagon to prepare for contingencies following presidential statements, adding that preparations do not mean a deployment is imminent.
Trump on Thursday warned that he would invoke the Insurrection Act unless Minnesota officials stopped protesters from what he described as attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The law, enacted in 1807, allows a president to deploy active-duty troops domestically or federalize a state’s National Guard in response to rebellion or civil unrest. It has been used sparingly, most notably during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions in Minnesota following a surge in federal immigration operations launched late last year. The Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Metro Surge” has resulted in hundreds of arrests and repeated confrontations between federal agents and demonstrators.
The situation escalated further this month after ICE agents shot two people during enforcement actions, killing Renée Good, an American citizen, and wounding Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan migrant. The incidents intensified protests and drew sharp criticism from state and local officials.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. Walz has mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to support local authorities, though Guard members have not yet been deployed to city streets.
The Trump administration has increased pressure on Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, with the Justice Department opening an investigation into whether Walz and Frey impeded federal immigration enforcement. Both officials have denounced the probe, calling it an authoritarian tactic meant to intimidate critics.
Minnesota officials have also filed suit against the federal government, arguing that the law enforcement surge violates the Constitution. Attorney General Keith Ellison has sought a restraining order, describing the operation as a “federal invasion.”
Trump has previously ordered domestic military deployments that were challenged in court, with mixed outcomes. In one high-profile case last year, he federalized the California National Guard and deployed active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom after protests turned violent. Other deployments have raised legal questions under the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars U.S. troops from performing civilian law enforcement duties.
For now, defense officials say the Alaska-based troops remain on standby, as the administration weighs its next steps in Minnesota.
