The United States Department of Defense (US) has ordered about 1.500 soldiers to be on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota, where US federal agencies are currently conducting large-scale operations to arrest illegal immigrants.
An official who spoke to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity said two infantry battalions were ready to receive orders to move to Minnesota.
There have been large demonstrations in Minneapolis for days, which began when an agent of the federal agency ICE, which controls migrants in the US, killed a woman.
The administration of US President Donald Trump claims that the ICE agent fired the shot "because his life was in danger," which has been disputed by citizens, as well as some politicians.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the "Insurrection Act," which allows him to deploy the military on US territory and use it to suppress demonstrations.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and a frequent target of Trump, urged the president to refrain from sending additional troops.
"I'm making a direct appeal to the president: Let's turn down the heat. Let's stop this campaign of retaliation. This is not us," Volz said last Sunday.
The "Insurrection Act" was last invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 to end the riots in Los Angeles following the acquittal of four police officers who beat African-American Rodney King.
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