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Pentagon Puts 1,500 Troops on Standby as Minneapolis Protests Test Federal Response

A mounting legal and staffing crunch now tests federal authority in Minneapolis.

Overview

  • About 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the Army’s 11th Airborne Division in Alaska are on prepare-to-deploy orders for Minnesota, with no decision yet on deployment after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act.
  • Minnesota’s National Guard is mobilized and staged but not on city streets, with officials saying troops are prepared to support public safety if requested.
  • A federal preliminary injunction from Judge Katherine Menendez restricts ICE from arresting or pepper-spraying peaceful protesters and bars vehicle stops without reasonable suspicion of interference.
  • The FBI has asked agents nationwide to volunteer for temporary duty in Minneapolis, with the bureau declining to specify potential assignments.
  • Institutional strain deepened as multiple resignations were reported in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office and within DOJ civil-rights leadership, and the local office began receiving assistance from military lawyers.