The Pentagon has ordered about 1.500 active-duty military personnel to prepare for possible deployment to the state of Minnesota, the Washington Post reported, citing military officials.
US President Donald Trump previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act due to unrest in the state.
The soldiers are assigned to two infantry battalions within the US Army's 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska, which specializes in cold-weather operations.
The military has placed units on standby for deployment in case violence in Minnesota escalates, officials said, describing the move as “prudent planning.” It is unclear whether any of those units will actually be sent to the state, said the officials, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the military issue, the newspaper reported.
The White House said in a statement that it is customary for the Pentagon to “be prepared for any decision the president may or may not make.” Defense Department spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment.
The Insurrection Act, a federal law dating back to 1807, allows the president to take control of a state’s National Guard or deploy active-duty troops domestically in response to a “rebellion.” Invoking the law would be an extraordinary move and the first such use since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush deployed the military during riots in Los Angeles that left dozens dead and caused widespread damage.
It is common for the application of the Sedition Act to be considered a measure of last resort, when law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain the peace during periods of civil unrest.
Trump threatened to invoke the law three days ago, saying on social media that if Minnesota officials failed to stop protesters from "attacking" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, he would invoke the Insurrection Act and "quickly end the travesty that is taking place in that once great state."
Two days ago, he toned down his rhetoric, saying that "for now" there was no reason to use the law. "If I needed it, I would use it," he added.
The Donald Trump administration has stepped up pressure on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other Democratic leaders in the state after the Justice Department launched an investigation into whether Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey obstructed immigration enforcement. Walz, Frey and other Democrats have called the move an act of authoritarianism aimed at silencing critics of the administration's actions.
Waltz and Frey urged protesters to remain calm. Waltz also mobilized the Minnesota National Guard on Saturday to support local authorities, but those forces have not yet been deployed.
Minnesota has been a focus of the Trump administration since at least December, when the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge, a weeks-long immigration crackdown that led to the arrests of hundreds of people and was marked by clashes between federal agents and protesters.
ICE agents shot two people in Minnesota this month — killing U.S. citizen Renee Goode and wounding Venezuelan migrant Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, after they tried to detain him.
Minnesota officials have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the operation, claiming that the increased law enforcement presence is a politically motivated violation of the Constitution. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (Democrat) announced that he is seeking a court injunction, calling the operation a “federal invasion.”
Other domestic military deployments ordered by Trump have also been the subject of legal disputes, with varying outcomes. In the most notable case, Trump took control of the California National Guard in June of last year, over the opposition of his Democratic political rival, Governor Gavin Newsom. About 4.000 Guard members were deployed to Los Angeles, along with a battalion of about 700 Marines, after protests against ICE turned violent in some cases.
In December, Trump said he would end efforts to keep the National Guard deployed in Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, after a six-to-three Supreme Court ruling found that the administration had failed to identify a lawful way for the military to “enforce the laws of Illinois.” At issue in those cases was whether the deployments violated the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that prohibits the U.S. military from performing civilian police duties.
Trump has also deployed more than 2.600 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and administration officials recently extended that mission through the end of 2026. While that deployment is also subject to legal challenges, the president has greater authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., because it is a federal jurisdiction.
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