Pentagon readying 1,500 soldiers for possible deployment to Minnesota — report

About 1,500 active-duty U.S. soldiers have been placed on standby for a potential deployment to Minnesota amid escalating unrest over federal immigration actions, after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if local officials cannot curb protests targeting ICE agents.

Reuters

18 January 2026 at 06:03:11

Pentagon readying 1,500 soldiers for possible deployment to Minnesota — report

FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Joshua Roberts

The U.S. Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing defense officials.

The Army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the state escalates, the Washington Post report said.

The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act if officials in the state don't stop protesters from 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 wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday.

The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-Chandni Shah/Reuters