Minneapolis, United States. The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota amid large protests against the government’s deportation drive, two U.S. officials said.
Prepare-to-deploy orders and possible mission
The U.S. Army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in Minnesota escalates, the officials said, though it was not clear whether any of the soldiers would be sent.
The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the order, which was first reported by ABC News.
Trump comments and legal authority
President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to use the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces if state officials do not stop protesters from targeting immigration officials following a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
If troops are deployed, it was unclear whether the Trump administration would invoke the Insurrection Act. Even without invoking the act, a president can deploy active-duty forces for certain domestic purposes such as protecting federal property, which Trump cited as a justification for sending Marines to Los Angeles last year.
In addition to active-duty forces, the Pentagon could also attempt to deploy newly created National Guard rapid-response forces for civil disturbances.
Units involved
The soldiers subject to 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, the officials said.
Protests and tensions in Minneapolis
Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense in Minneapolis after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, on January 7 as she was driving away after being ordered to exit her car.
What impact do you think a potential deployment of active-duty troops would have on protests in Minnesota?
