Pentagon Puts 1,500 Troops on Standby as Minnesota Protests Spiral [WATCH]

The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a potential deployment to Minnesota amid large-scale protests against the federal government’s deportation operations, according to a report published Sunday.

The U.S. Army has placed the troops on prepare-to-deploy orders in case unrest in the state escalates further, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed defense officials.

The report noted that it remains unclear whether the soldiers will ultimately be sent.

In a statement to the Washington Post, the White House said it is standard practice for the Pentagon “to be prepared for any decision the President may or may not make.”

The developments come after President Donald Trump warned last week that he could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces if Minnesota officials fail to stop protesters from targeting federal immigration officers following a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.

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“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of ICE, who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump wrote Thursday on his Truth Social platform.

The soldiers identified for potential deployment specialize in cold-weather operations and are assigned to two U.S. Army infantry battalions under the 11th Airborne Division, which is based in Alaska, according to reporting by the Washington Post and ABC News.

Tensions have been rising in Minneapolis, the most populous city in Minnesota, where confrontations between residents and federal officers have intensified in recent weeks.

The situation escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good on January 7.

Authorities said the shooting occurred as Good was driving at a federal agent after being ordered to exit her vehicle.

In response to protests and unrest, Trump has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents from ICE and U.S. Border Patrol to Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul since early last week.

The deployments are part of a broader wave of federal interventions, primarily in cities governed by Democratic officials.

The president has argued that similar troop deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis, and Portland, Oregon, are necessary to combat crime and protect federal property and personnel from protesters.

However, earlier this month, Trump said he was withdrawing National Guard forces from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland following legal challenges and setbacks in those cities.

Local and state leaders in Minnesota have accused the administration of federal overreach, arguing that the president is exaggerating isolated incidents of violence to justify the use of military force.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is now the subject of a criminal investigation opened by the Justice Department, has mobilized the state’s National Guard to support local law enforcement and emergency management agencies.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety confirmed the activation in a post on X on Saturday.

The Trump administration has repeatedly cited a major scandal involving the theft of federal funds intended for social welfare programs in Minnesota as justification for the increased presence of immigration agents in the state.

Administration officials have also repeatedly singled out Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community in connection with enforcement actions.

The Insurrection Act, a federal statute dating back to the early 19th century, grants the president authority to deploy active-duty military forces or federalize National Guard units within the United States to suppress domestic unrest, insurrection, or rebellion.

While no final decision has been announced regarding the deployment of active-duty troops to Minnesota, defense officials said the prepare-to-deploy orders are intended to ensure rapid response capability should conditions on the ground deteriorate further.