Two battalions from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and specializing in cold-weather and mountain warfare, have received prepare-to-deploy orders for Minnesota, defense officials confirmed Sunday.
The move comes as tensions escalate between federal authorities and state officials over immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where approximately 3,000 federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are currently conducting what the administration calls Operation Metro Surge.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that “the Department of War is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon.” A Trump administration source told reporters that having troops on standby does not mean deployment is imminent or guaranteed.
President Trump threatened Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law dating to 1807, if Minnesota officials don’t crack down on protesters who he claims are harassing federal agents. He later appeared to walk back the threat Friday, telling reporters there was not a reason to use it “right now.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche voiced support Sunday for potential military deployment, stating “there may come a time when the president has to order that” to keep citizens safe.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the potential troop deployment a “shocking step” and described the federal presence as an “occupying force that has, quite literally, invaded our city.”
“I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government,” Frey said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to be on standby to assist local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, though they have not been deployed. Walz called on Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to end what he described as an “occupation” of the state.
The escalating confrontation follows several violent incidents during immigration enforcement operations. On January 7, an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her vehicle. The shooting sparked widespread protests and became a rallying point for opponents of the federal operation.
On Wednesday, a federal officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg during immigration enforcement activities. That same day, a six-month-old baby and another child were hospitalized after sustaining injuries from tear gas used during a federal operation.
A federal judge in Minneapolis ruled late last week that federal officers cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters and observers who are not obstructing officers.
The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Walz and Frey for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement. Both Democratic leaders have denounced the investigation, with Walz calling it “weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents” and describing it as “a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”
The state of Minnesota along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a lawsuit Monday against the federal government over Operation Metro Surge, calling it an unconstitutional federal invasion that violates the First and Tenth amendments.
University of Minnesota announced it would offer virtual options for the start of its spring semester this week due to safety concerns expressed by students and instructors.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune appeared to downplay Trump’s threat, expressing hope that local and federal law enforcement can work together to settle things down without military intervention.
Legal experts have questioned whether current circumstances would justify invoking the Insurrection Act. Joseph Nunn, a legal expert on the act, told reporters it “would be a flagrant abuse” unlike anything in the country’s history if Trump invoked it under present conditions.
Large shares of Americans have expressed discomfort over immigration enforcement tactics in recent polling. A Quinnipiac poll found that some 82 percent of respondents had seen video of Good’s fatal shooting.
On Sunday, ICE reported that Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old man from Nicaragua who was arrested in Minneapolis, died in ICE custody at a facility in El Paso, Texas, 12 days after his arrest.
Federal authorities maintain that Operation Metro Surge aims to remove individuals who have committed serious crimes and are in Minnesota unlawfully. Protesters and local officials argue the operations have been indiscriminate and unconstitutional.
