Pentagon puts 1,500 troops on standby as Minnesota protests escalate
About 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division were ordered to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota amid protests over federal immigration operations.
Overview
Pentagon ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division in Alaska to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota amid mounting protests and federal immigration operations.
Officials say two infantry battalions received prepare-to-deploy orders; deployment would follow only if President Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to use active-duty troops as domestic law enforcement.
Trump threatened to invoke the law to curb protests targeting ICE, later appeared to walk back immediate plans; the White House and Pentagon framed preparations as routine readiness.
Minnesota officials mobilized the National Guard; Gov. Tim Walz urged de-escalation while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned federal troop preparations as intimidating and unnecessary.
Tensions rose after an ICE agent fatally shot activist Renee Good; federal crowd-control tactics face injunctions and legal challenges as protesters continue largely peaceful demonstrations.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a concerning potential misuse of military power by emphasizing Trump's repeated threats, highlighting legal and political dissent (governor, mayor, legal scholar), and using cautious descriptors like 'rarely-used' Insurrection Act. Editorial choices prioritize context and expert warnings; quoted inflammatory phrases remain source content, not framing.
Sources (23)
FAQ
The Insurrection Act allows the President to deploy active-duty military troops domestically for law enforcement if invoked; deployment of the 1,500 soldiers would only occur if President Trump invokes it to address protests against ICE operations.
Protests escalated after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot 37-year-old activist Renee Nicole Good on January 7, 2026, while she was driving in Minneapolis.
Jake Lang, a conservative influencer pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 charges, organized an anti-Islam, pro-ICE protest in Minneapolis on January 17; he was injured, with videos showing him bleeding during clashes with counterprotesters.
Governor Tim Walz mobilized the National Guard and urged de-escalation; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned federal troop preparations as intimidating, while facing a DOJ investigation for obstruction.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging ICE's racially profiling, warrantless seizures, and arrests; federal crowd-control tactics like tear gas and pepper balls face injunctions and criticism for being unchecked.
History
5 sources