Pentagon puts 1,500 troops on alert for Minnesota: reports
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ICE agents pull a woman from a car before detaining her on Jan. 13 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
The Pentagon has ordered some 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare to possibly deploy to Minnesota, per multiple reports, as President Trump considers invoking the Insurrection Act for the first time in the 21st century.
The big picture: The battle between state officials and the federal government has sharply escalated in the days since an ICE officer shot and killed Minneapolis mother Renee Nicole Good. Sending troops to the streets would surely fan the flames higher.
- ABC News, which first reported the news, notes there is currently no plan to send soldiers to Minnesota.
What they're saying: "The Department of War is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to Axios.
- The Pentagon did not confirm or deny that 1,500 troops were put on alert. Multiple outlets reported the personnel are from the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska.
The other side: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said deploying troops would constitute a "shocking step" on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.
- "You know what's causing more chaos?" he said. "Having these thousands of ICE agents and Border Control and apparently military, even, potentially on our streets."
Catch up quick: Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces to Minnesota.
- He warned he'd use the law if "corrupt politicians" don't "obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists." By the next day, he seemed to walk back his threat.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on "Fox News Sunday" that "there may come a time when the president has to order that" — and if he does, Blanche said, he'll have the DOJ's backing.
By the numbers: Large shares of Americans have expressed discomfort over the tactics used by immigration enforcement in polls conducted during the federal surge.
- 61% said ICE was being too tough when it stopped or detained people in a CBS News–YouGov poll conducted January 14–16 among 2,523 adults.
- 57% disapproved of the way ICE enforces immigration laws in a recent Quinnipiac University poll of 1,133 registered voters.
Friction point: As tensions mount and thousands of federal officers have descended on the state, neither state nor federal officials are showing signs of backing down.
- Gov. Tim Walz (D) called on Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week to end the "occupation," and he encouraged residents to peacefully protest.
- Blanche accused Walz and Frey of "terrorism" in a Wednesday social media post. Trump's DOJ is now investigating the Democratic leaders for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement.
- In response, Walz said, "Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic." Frey called it "an obvious attempt" at intimidation.
Zoom out: As Minneapolis has emerged as a nationwide flashpoint, videos of clashes with federal agents have inundated social media, from the shooting of Good in her vehicle to the encounter that reportedly sent a baby to the hospital after his family's car was filled with tear gas.
- Quinnipiac's poll found that some 82% of respondents had seen the video of Good's final moments.
- Local officials have encouraged civilians to keep filming. On Friday, a federal judge limited action agents involved in the crackdown could take against peaceful protesters, including pepper spraying and arresting them.
- But Noem said the court order didn't change how federal agents would respond. She also blamed Walz and Frey for allowing "violence to be perpetuated across Minneapolis" that's impacted "innocent people" on CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday.
Yes, but: Frey said Sunday he has never pushed for violence against law enforcement.
- "If the goal is safety, if the goal is maintaining a peace, I'll tell you, there's a very good antidote to some of the danger we've been seeing," he said on NBC. "It's just to have ICE leave."
Go deeper: Trump's military threat comes as Minneapolis reels under ICE
