Pentagon readies 1,500 troops for possible deployment to Minnesota

The Defense Department has told 1,500 active-duty troops to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, where President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act amid protests over the killing of a Minneapolis woman by a federal immigration officer.

Last week the Pentagon put troops from two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division on alert, and it quietly alerted 200 Texas National Guard troops to be ready to deploy; the Texas Guard soldiers have remained on standby since returning home from Chicago late last year. “The Department of War is always prepared to execute the orders of the commander in chief if called upon,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in an emailed statement. The order putting the troops on notice was reported earlier by ABC News.

The Insurrection Act, a little-used 1807 law, would be required to authorize active-duty forces for domestic law enforcement. Mr. Trump has appeared to back away from invoking it, saying, “I don’t think I need it right now,” after Republican and Democratic lawmakers urged restraint. Officials said the Pentagon was aware of Mr. Trump’s apparent retreat but that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wanted to be prepared; it remains unclear whether any troops will ultimately be deployed.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Minnesota, Insurrection Act, Texas National Guard, Pete Hegseth