The Pentagon has placed 1,500 US soldiers on alert for a possible deployment to Minnesota amid unrest sparked by a federal immigration crackdown, US media reported on Sunday.
The reported preparations come days after President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows the use of the military to suppress “armed rebellion” or “domestic violence.” Although Trump later said there was no immediate need to invoke the law, the comments raised concerns about a potential federal military response.
According to ABC News, which first reported the development, two unnamed US defence officials said 1,500 active-duty Army paratroopers based in Alaska have been ordered to prepare for deployment. However, the president has yet to make a final decision.
The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Insurrection Act has not been invoked in the United States for more than three decades, and any decision to deploy federal troops would likely deepen tensions between the White House and Minnesota state and local authorities.
Minnesota has been rocked by protests and clashes between demonstrators and immigration officers, particularly in Minneapolis, following the fatal shooting of a US woman by a federal agent on January 7.
On Saturday, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said Governor Tim Walz had authorised the mobilisation of the state’s National Guard to assist local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. As governor, Walz has the authority to deploy the state’s military reserve during emergencies.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sharply criticised the federal response, describing the presence of immigration and border enforcement agents as an “occupying force.”
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Frey said about 3,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border control were operating in the city, outnumbering the roughly 600-member Minneapolis police force by five to one. He also expressed concern over reports that 1,500 federal troops could be deployed.
“This is not about safety,” Frey said. “What this is about is coming into our city by the thousands and terrorizing people simply because they’re Latino or Somali.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, however, said the immigration crackdown would continue.
“We will not stop until we are sure that all the dangerous people are picked up, brought to justice, and deported back to their home countries,” she said.
The developments recall events in June and July, when the Pentagon deployed about 700 US Marines to Los Angeles following protests over aggressive immigration enforcement. At the time, Trump also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act but ultimately refrained, with the troops limited to guarding federal facilities.
AFP
