The army has placed these units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case the situation escalates to violence in the northern state, the Washington Post reported, citing defense officials who requested anonymity. It remains uncertain whether any of these soldiers will actually be sent.
In a statement to the Post, the White House mentioned that it is customary for the Pentagon to be ready for any decisions the President may choose to make. Both the Pentagon and the White House have yet to respond to Reuters’ requests for comments.
President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to utilize the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces if state officials fail to contain protesters targeting immigration officials following a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
THREAT OF TROOPS FOLLOWS SURGE OF IMMIGRATION AGENTS
“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 declared on his Truth Social platform.
The soldiers being considered for deployment specialize in cold-weather operations and belong to two US Army infantry battalions within the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska, as reported by the Post and ABC News.
Tensions between residents and federal officers have heightened in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s largest city, after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a US citizen and mother of three, on January 7 as she was leaving the scene after being instructed to exit her vehicle.
President Trump, a Republican, has dispatched nearly 3000 federal agents from ICE and Border Patrol to Minneapolis and neighboring St Paul since the beginning of last week, predominantly targeting cities governed by Democratic officials.
He has justified troop deployments in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, Memphis, and Portland, Oregon, citing the necessity to combat crime and safeguard federal property and personnel from protesters. However, he recently announced the removal of the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland due to legal complications and challenges.
Local leaders have accused the president of exceeding federal authority and amplifying isolated instances of violence to justify military intervention.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is under a criminal investigation by the Justice Department, has mobilized the state’s National Guard to assist local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, as confirmed by the state Department of Public Safety on X.
President Trump has frequently referenced a scandal involving the misappropriation of federal funds designated for social-welfare programs in Minnesota as a reason for deploying immigration agents. He and administration officials have repeatedly targeted the state’s Somali immigrant community.
The Insurrection Act is a federal statute that empowers the president to deploy the military or federalize National Guard troops within the US to suppress domestic uprisings.
This law can be invoked in instances of “unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages or rebellion” against federal authority. If the president determines that these conditions exist, he may use the armed forces to enforce laws or quell the rebellion.
