MINNEAPOLIS: The Pentagon has ordered roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, amid ongoing protests against the federal government’s immigration enforcement actions, U.S. media reported Sunday.
It is unclear whether any troops will ultimately be sent. The White House said that the military’s readiness is routine, emphasizing that it “prepares for any decision the President may or may not make.”
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump recently threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if state officials fail to control protesters targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
In Minneapolis, hundreds of anti-ICE protesters confronted a small group of far-right activists who planned to march in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations.
The demonstration remained largely nonviolent, though a few minor scuffles occurred. Protesters waved signs and chanted for ICE and Border Patrol agents to leave the city, with temperatures dipping to -4°F (-20°C) with wind chill.
One far-right organizer claimed on social media that he was stabbed during a scuffle, but authorities have not verified the incident. Police reported no official injuries related to the protests.
The anti-ICE demonstration was organized by the People’s Action Coalition against Trump, with participants expressing support for the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota.
The recent protests follow a surge of ICE and Border Patrol activity in Minneapolis and St. Paul, during which a U.S. citizen, Renee Good, was fatally shot by an ICE agent.
The incident has fueled tensions between federal authorities and state leadership, with the Justice Department reportedly investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
