The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty troops in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, where large-scale protests continue to erupt over the federal government’s aggressive deportation campaign.
Two U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that the troops—specialized in cold-weather combat and assigned to infantry battalions under the 11th Airborne Division—were placed on “prepare-to-deploy” orders as a precaution in case violence escalates on the ground. Whether any of these forces will actually be deployed remains to be seen.
This move comes after President Donald Trump issued a stark warning last week, threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota’s leadership fails to quell what he described as “professional agitators and insurrectionists” targeting immigration officials. “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
🚨 JUST IN: Minneapolis Mayor Frey looks rattled after President Trump puts 1,500 troops on standby.
“3,000 federal agents, 1500 troops?! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! We will NOT be intimidated by this federal government!”
Send in the Minnesota National Guard.
Mr. Mayor, you created… pic.twitter.com/JfBQyc17s0
— Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) January 18, 2026
Minneapolis and St. Paul have become flashpoints following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent—an incident that has triggered daily demonstrations and a rising chorus of outrage. Protesters accuse the federal government of escalating tensions through the aggressive deployment of nearly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents to the region in the past week alone.
The Trump administration has not confirmed whether it will activate the Insurrection Act, though the president has a range of powers to deploy military forces domestically without invoking it, particularly when it comes to protecting federal property. That’s the same justification he used last year when dispatching Marines to Los Angeles.
The Department of Defense may also tap into newly formed National Guard rapid-response units designed to manage civil disturbances. Meanwhile, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz—currently under criminal investigation by the Justice Department—has mobilized the state’s National Guard in coordination with local police and emergency agencies.
🚨 PENTAGON PUTS 1,500 ACTIVE-DUTY TROOPS ON STANDBY FOR MINNESOTA!
Send in the troops!
pic.twitter.com/FrDBbkpJVj— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 18, 2026
Trump’s aggressive federal intervention is drawing fire from Democratic leaders, who accuse the administration of exploiting isolated unrest to justify broad militarization and score political points. But the president has stood firm, pointing to a massive welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota and citing concerns over immigration and public safety—particularly in communities with large Somali populations.
While legal experts debate whether the situation meets the threshold for invoking the Insurrection Act, the White House and Pentagon have so far declined to comment on the status of the deployment.
As tensions boil and the possibility of federal troops on Minnesota soil becomes more real, all eyes are on what the next 48 hours will bring.
