President Trump has ordered 1,500 active-duty troops to prepare for deployment to Minnesota, marking a historic escalation that could invoke the Insurrection Act for the first time since 1992 and fundamentally reshape federal authority over local law enforcement.
Story Highlights
- Pentagon puts 1,500 Arctic warfare specialists on standby for Minnesota deployment following Minneapolis protests
- Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act, but later states no “reason right now” to deploy troops
- Democrat Governor Walz and Mayor Frey face DOJ investigations while opposing federal military intervention
- 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents already deployed in Minneapolis amid ACLU lawsuit alleging racial profiling
Trump Administration Escalates Federal Response to Minneapolis Unrest
The Pentagon has placed 1,500 active-duty troops from the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska on standby for potential deployment to Minnesota. This extraordinary measure follows protests in Minneapolis that erupted after an ICE agent killed American citizen Renee Good and wounded Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis during an attempted detention.
The standby order represents the most significant federal military preparation for domestic deployment since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, when President George H.W. Bush invoked the Insurrection Act.
Pentagon readies 1,500 troops for potential Minnesota deployment, U.S. officials say https://t.co/tYTe5K0THn
— CNBC Politics (@CNBCPolitics) January 18, 2026
Trump initially threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to suppress the demonstrations, but later stated he saw no reason “right now” to take that step.
The president’s measured approach suggests he recognizes the gravity of deploying active-duty troops for domestic law enforcement, which requires invoking extraordinary executive powers not used in over three decades.
Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the Department of War remains “always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon.”
Democrat Leaders Face Federal Pressure and Criminal Investigations
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have explicitly opposed the potential deployment while facing unprecedented federal pressure.
Both Democrat leaders argue the military presence would be counterproductive, with Frey noting on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that crime is down in Minneapolis and deployment would be “shocking.” Governor Walz made a “direct appeal” to Trump to “turn the temperature down” and “stop this campaign of retribution.”
The Trump administration has launched Department of Justice criminal investigations into both officials for their statements opposing federal intervention.
This dual approach of threatening military deployment while pursuing criminal charges against local Democrat leaders represents an unprecedented assertion of federal authority over state and local governance. The investigations create additional pressure on officials who are constitutionally responsible for public safety within their jurisdictions.
Federal Agents Already Operating Under Constitutional Challenge
The potential troop deployment would supplement 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents already operating in Minneapolis, where their tactics have drawn sharp criticism and legal challenges.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a 72-page lawsuit alleging federal agents engaged in racial profiling, excessive force, and arbitrary detentions of U.S. citizens. The lawsuit characterizes the operations as involving “masked federal agents in the thousands violently stopping and arresting countless Minnesotans based on nothing more than their race and perceived ethnicity.”
This pattern mirrors Trump’s previous deployments during his second term, including 4,000 National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections, and National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., through the end of 2026.
The Minneapolis situation represents the most serious consideration of invoking the Insurrection Act, which would override state and local authority and establish a dangerous precedent for military involvement in civilian protest management.
Sources:
Pentagon Puts 1,500 Troops On Standby For Possible Minnesota Deployment – TIME Magazine
Trump considers deploying active-duty troops to Minnesota – Politico
