U.S. military troops on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Up to 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops from Alaska's 11th Airborne Division are on standby for potential deployment to Minnesota amid ongoing protests and federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
- President Trump recently threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to control unrest but later retracted the threat; the Pentagon remains prepared to follow presidential orders if given.
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has directed the National Guard to prepare for deployment to support local law enforcement, though they have not yet been activated.
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the idea of military deployment, stating that crime is down and additional federal presence is unnecessary.
- Legal experts warn that invoking the Insurrection Act in this situation would be an unprecedented misuse, as
