The Pentagon has reportedly ordered roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, a precautionary move that comes as President Donald Trump weighs how to respond to escalating unrest tied to recent ICE-related shootings and ongoing protests in Minneapolis.
Multiple media outlets, citing unnamed defense officials, reported that the troops are being placed on standby following Trump’s warning that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if violence continues. The unrest erupted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers shot two individuals in separate incidents, one of them fatally, setting off waves of demonstrations in Minneapolis and surrounding areas.
According to those reports, the soldiers come from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, a unit based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska that specializes in cold-weather operations. Defense officials said the move is meant to ensure readiness should the situation deteriorate further, but stressed that no final decision has been made to send the troops into the state.
“We are taking prudent steps to prepare active-duty Army forces,” one defense official told ABC News, which first reported on the potential deployment. The official emphasized that preparation does not equal deployment, saying the Pentagon is simply ensuring that options are available if needed.
A White House official echoed that message, telling The Hill that it is routine for the Defense Department to be prepared for any decision the president may or may not make. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell reinforced that stance, saying the Department of War stands ready to carry out the orders of the commander in chief if called upon.
Trump’s warning came Thursday, just hours after a federal officer shot and wounded a man in Minneapolis, igniting a new round of protests. In a sharply worded post on Truth Social, the president accused Minnesota leaders of failing to uphold the law and of allowing what he described as professional agitators and insurrectionists to target ICE officers.
“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 wrote, noting that many past presidents have used the law and vowing to quickly end what he called a travesty in a once-great state.
The following day, however, Trump signaled a more measured posture. Speaking to reporters Friday, he said there was no immediate reason to invoke the Insurrection Act, but made clear he would not hesitate if circumstances demanded it. “I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it,” he said. “But if I needed it, I’d use it.”
Tensions in Minneapolis have been especially high after two high-profile incidents involving federal officers. Earlier this month, an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, a Minnesota resident whose death sparked widespread demonstrations. More recently, a Venezuelan migrant was shot after allegedly attacking a federal officer during a traffic stop, according to reports, further inflaming an already volatile situation.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president the authority to deploy military forces domestically to suppress civil unrest when state and local authorities are unable or unwilling to restore order. The law has been used sparingly, with its most recent invocation occurring in the early 1990s.
For now, the Pentagon’s move underscores the administration’s determination to be ready if unrest escalates further, even as Trump says he hopes state and local leaders will take steps to restore calm without requiring federal intervention.
[READ MORE: DOJ Probes Walz, Frey Over Alleged Effort to Undermine ICE Operations in Minnesota]
