The Pentagon has initiated prepare-to-deploy orders for approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers from Alaska-based units amid escalating tensions in Minnesota, according to senior U.S. officials. The mobilization preparation comes as federal immigration enforcement operations have sparked widespread protests and confrontations in the Midwestern state.
The strategic positioning of cold-weather specialized troops from the 11th Airborne Division’s infantry battalions follows President Donald Trump’s Thursday threat to invoke the Insurrection Act if state officials fail to curb protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel. While deployment remains uncertain, the move represents the administration’s latest escalation in responding to domestic civil disturbances.
This development occurs against the backdrop of intensified federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, where tensions dramatically increased after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, during a January 7th encounter. The incident has galvanized opposition to the nearly 3,000 federal agents deployed to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since last week.
The Trump administration maintains that military deployment would protect federal property and personnel, citing previous deployments in Los Angeles where Marines were dispatched under similar justification. Legal complexities surround potential deployment, as presidents possess authority to deploy active-duty forces for specific domestic purposes without invoking the Insurrection Act.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the state’s National Guard while facing a Justice Department criminal investigation. Local leaders have consistently accused the administration of federal overreach and exaggerating isolated violence to justify military intervention. The administration has particularly focused on Minnesota’s Somali immigrant community in its rationale for increased enforcement.
The Pentagon and White House have not publicly commented on the deployment preparations, which were first reported by ABC News. The situation continues to evolve as both protest activity and federal enforcement operations persist in the region.