The Pentagon is considering deploying 1,500 troops to Minnesota amid ongoing protests against ICE, following President Donald Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act. The Washington Post reported on 18/1, citing anonymous Pentagon officials, that two infantry battalions from the US Army's 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska, have been placed on standby for deployment to Minnesota, should violence escalate in the state.

These service members are forces specialized in cold-weather operations, suitable for Minnesota's climate. Anonymous US officials described the move as being "carefully planned." The US Department of Defense declined to comment. The White House stated that "it is normal for the Pentagon to prepare for any decision the President may or may not make."

This development follows President Trump's 15/1 threat to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota officials fail to stop protesters from "attacking" agents of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Law enforcement officers arrest a man during a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 17/1. *Photo: AP*

The Insurrection Act, a federal law dating back to 1807, empowers the president to take control of a state's National Guard or deploy the military domestically to quell "insurrection." Invoking this act is generally considered a last resort, when law enforcement is no longer capable of maintaining order. If Trump's threat materializes, it would mark the first time the Insurrection Act has been invoked by a US president since 1992, when George H.W. Bush deployed troops to address riots in Los Angeles.

President Trump stated that if invoked, the Insurrection Act would "quickly end the farce unfolding in this once-great state." On 16/1, he seemed to soften his tone, stating there was currently no reason to invoke the act, but still warned that "it would be used if necessary."

Minnesota has been a major concern for the Trump administration since at least 12/2025, when the US Department of Homeland Security launched a large-scale immigrant crackdown operation named Metro Surge. This weeks-long operation led to hundreds of arrests and ignited clashes between protesters and federal agents.

ICE agents shot two people in Minnesota this month, resulting in the death of US citizen Renee Good and injury to Venezuelan immigrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration over the operation, arguing that increasing law enforcement presence in the state violated the Constitution and was politically motivated.