"US Defense Department Orders Army 11th Airborne Division to Prepare 1,500 Troops for Possible Minnesota Deployment"

White House: "It is standard practice for the Department of Defense to be on standby"

After President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered preparations for the possible deployment of 1,500 active-duty regular troops to suppress the unrest in Minnesota.

On the 13th (local time), police and citizens are confronting each other in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Some citizens are kneeling in protest. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

On the 17th (local time), The Washington Post (WP), citing anonymous sources, reported that the units receiving these orders were two infantry battalions under the Army's 11th Airborne Division in Alaska. The Army has placed these units on standby to be deployed in case the violence in Minnesota escalates. However, the report added that "this is a precautionary plan." The White House stated, "It is standard practice for the Department of Defense to prepare for any decision the President may or may not make."

Previously, on the 7th, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent conducting an immigration raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shot and killed a white American woman in her 30s who was driving a vehicle. This incident sparked clashes between protesters and authorities. On the 14th, another incident occurred in Minneapolis, where a Venezuelan immigrant man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent during an attempted arrest.

On the 15th, President Trump warned on social media, "If Minnesota politicians fail to stop professional agitators and insurgents attacking ICE agents, I will invoke the Insurrection Act." However, the following day, he stepped back, stating, "I will use it if necessary, but there is no reason to invoke it right now."

The U.S. Insurrection Act was enacted in 1807. It allows the President to deploy the National Guard or regular troops without a state government's request or consent if he deems it necessary to quell emergencies such as rebellion or riots. The Act has been invoked approximately 30 times in history. The most recent case was during the Los Angeles (LA) riots in 1992, which began after the Rodney King beating incident and resulted in dozens of deaths. The last time it was invoked without a governor's consent was 60 years ago.

WP reported, "Invoking the Insurrection Act is a highly unusual measure," adding, "It is generally considered a last resort when law enforcement personnel are unable to maintain peace during unrest."

Since the end of last year, more than 3,000 Department of Homeland Security agents have been deployed in Minnesota to crack down on illegal immigrants and investigate large-scale fraud involving federal subsidies. Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey have publicly criticized the mass deployment of federal agents following these incidents. The federal Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Governor Walz and other state officials on suspicion of conspiring to obstruct enforcement operations.