The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers from two battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division to be ready for a possible deployment to Minnesota amid a federal immigration enforcement operation. Officials said the troops could be sent if the president invokes the Insurrection Act, a rarely used early 19th-century law that can authorize limited use of active-duty forces in domestic law enforcement. The announcement followed public threats by President Trump and a later, more measured comment; Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged restraint.
Pentagon Readies About 1,500 Soldiers for Possible Minnesota Deployment Amid Immigration Operation
Soldiers assigned to the 11th Airborne Division seen on a C-17 Globemaster III in 2023. (Mysti Bicoy/Air National Guard)(Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy)
The Pentagon has ordered roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers to be prepared for a possible deployment to Minnesota as federal authorities carry out a large immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans are sensitive, said two infantry battalions from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division received "prepare-to-deploy" orders. The 11th Airborne is based in Alaska and specializes in operations in arctic and cold-weather conditions.
Why the Troops Are On Standby
One defense official said the troops are on standby to deploy to Minnesota if President Donald Trump invokes the Insurrection Act — a rarely used early 19th-century law commonly cited as dating to 1807 — which can permit active-duty forces to be used in certain domestic law-enforcement roles.
The mobilization follows public threats by President Trump to use federal troops to respond to protests tied to his administration’s immigration enforcement actions. In an emailed statement, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell did not deny that orders had been issued and said the military "is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon." ABC News was the first outlet to report the development.
On social media, Mr. Trump posted that he would invoke the 1807 law "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."
He later appeared to soften the threat, telling reporters at the White House that there was not a reason to use the law "right now." "If I needed it, I’d use it," the president said. "It’s very powerful."
Context And Reaction
Trump has threatened to use the Insurrection Act on multiple occasions, including during nationwide protests in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The law was most recently invoked by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 to help end unrest in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict.
"I’m making a direct appeal to the President: Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,"
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and frequent target of the president, urged restraint and appealed for de-escalation, calling on the White House not to send additional troops into the state.
Officials emphasized that the soldiers are currently on standby and that any deployment would depend on orders from the White House and further legal or operational decisions.
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