Approximately 1,500 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have been placed on standby for a potential deployment to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as tensions continue in the city over protests related to federal immigration enforcement and recent shootings, according to U.S. defense officials. The Pentagon has drawn the troops from the 11th Airborne Division stationed in Alaska and ordered them to prepare for possible deployment if the situation in Minneapolis escalates. Officials emphasized that no formal decision has been made to send the soldiers into the city, and they remain in a prepare-to-deploy status.
The heightened military readiness is a precautionary measure, providing federal leaders with options should unrest surpass the capacity of local law enforcement and the National Guard. The move comes amid intense demonstrations sparked by interactions between residents and federal authorities, including the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer earlier this month. President Donald Trump has suggested he may invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, a rarely used law that authorizes active-duty troops to support domestic law enforcement, though it has not yet been implemented.
In response, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the state’s National Guard, placing units on alert to assist local authorities if necessary. Guard members have not been deployed to city streets at this stage, and officials say they would be clearly identified to protect life, preserve property, and ensure the rights of peaceful demonstrators. Local leaders have criticized the possibility of a federal military presence, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey describing it as an “invasion” that could heighten tensions rather than calm them.
Federal authorities have maintained that placing troops on standby is a routine readiness step and that any deployment would require lawful authority, with decisions guided by evolving conditions on the ground. At present, the 1,500 soldiers remain on standby, the Insurrection Act has not been invoked, and no deployment orders have been issued. Both federal and state forces are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating readiness plans as protests continue in Minneapolis.
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