U.S. Readies 1,500 Troops for Possible Minnesota Protest Deployment

The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a potential deployment to Minnesota, according to two U.S. officials. The soldiers, based in Alaska, were placed on standby this week. Officials said the order is a precaution in case protests in the midwestern state turn more violent. Minnesota has seen large demonstrations against a government operation to arrest and deport immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. It remains unclear if the troops will actually be sent. The preparation order allows units to be mobilized quickly if requested by state authorities and approved by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. The move follows a Thursday statement from President Donald Trump. He threatened to use the Insurrection Act, an old law that allows a president to deploy the military inside the United States to suppress unrest.