US President Donald Trump’s immigrant crackdown in the state has been met with months of mass protests
The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty US troops to prepare for a possible deployment to quell unrest in Minnesota, the Washington Post wrote on Sunday, citing defense officials.
Months of demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the area spiked sharply earlier in January following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis.
The Pentagon has now put troops from the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division on standby in case the violence in Minnesota escalates, WaPo wrote, citing a US defense official. It is not yet clear if they will be deployed, he reportedly said.
The Pentagon typically prepares for any decision the US president could make, the outlet cited a White House spokesperson as saying.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act if “corrupt politicians” don’t stop “professional agitators and insurrectionists” from attacking ICE agents. The federal law would allow for the deployment of troops to eliminate domestic civil disorder or a rebellion.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over his ongoing immigration crackdown in the state.
The US DOJ has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into both of the officials. The probe, which is likely to involve subpoenas, examines an alleged conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents operating in the state, multiple outlets reported on Friday.
Both Walz and Frey have sharply criticized Trump’s decision to deploy nearly 3,000 federal agents to the Twin Cities earlier in January, with the mayor publicly telling them to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis” after an ICE agent fatally shot local lesbian Renee Good.
Tensions skyrocketed following the killing, leading to multiple clashes between protesters and ICE agents.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has accused Walz and Frey of putting federal officials at risk by “encouraging” protesters to impede and assault them.