Pentagon puts 1,500 US troops on standby amid Minnesota protests, Trump warns of Insurrection Act

Pentagon readies 1,500 troops to possibly deploy to Minnesota, US media say

• Pentagon readies 1,500 troops for possible Minnesota deployment amid protests
• Trump threatens Insurrection Act, later says it's "not needed right now"
• Minnesota leaders condemn federal intervention, urge peaceful protests

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The Pentagon has placed approximately 1,500 active-duty U.S. soldiers on prepare-to-deploy orders for a potential deployment to Minnesota, amid ongoing protests against the Trump administration's deportation efforts, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Defense officials cited by the Post said the troops could be mobilized if violence in the state escalates, though it remains unclear whether any deployment will occur. The soldiers are drawn from two infantry battalions of the 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and trained for cold-weather operations.

“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,” President Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday, signaling his readiness to invoke the Insurrection Act.

The move follows heightened tensions in Minneapolis, where federal officers, including nearly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents, have clashed with protesters. The unrest escalated after ICE agents shot and killed Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, on January 7, and injured another individual during a detention attempt.

The Insurrection Act, passed in 1807, empowers the president to federalize the National Guard or deploy active-duty troops domestically to quell uprisings. It can be invoked when there are “unlawful obstructions, combinations or assemblages or rebellion” against federal authority, allowing the president to act “to enforce those laws or suppress the rebellion.” Last invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots, the law is considered a measure of last resort.

The White House described the Pentagon’s preparation as routine. In a statement, it said it is “typical for the Defence Department to be prepared for any decision the President may or may not make.” Trump later appeared to soften his tone, stating on Friday that invoking the law was “not needed right now” but adding, “If I needed it, I’d use it.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have condemned the move as authoritarian overreach and urged protesters to remain peaceful. The state has mobilized the National Guard to support local authorities, though troops have not yet been deployed. The Justice Department has also opened an investigation into whether Walz and Frey obstructed federal immigration enforcement.

The protests are part of Operation Metro Surge, the administration’s multi-week immigration crackdown, which has drawn national attention and intensified clashes between federal agents and residents. Local leaders have criticized Trump’s actions as an exaggeration of isolated violence to justify federal intervention, particularly targeting Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community.