The Trump administration is reportedly gearing up to potentially deploy 1,500 troops to Minnesota, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke with Fox News Digital. This move comes amidst heightened tension and unrest linked to anti-ICE protests in the state.

These troops would come from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division, which is stationed in Alaska and is known for its expertise in cold-weather and mountain operations. The Pentagon’s readiness to act was initially reported by The Washington Post.

President Trump has expressed his readiness to invoke the Insurrection Act, a federal law that allows the deployment of military forces on domestic soil, should Minnesota state officials fail to manage the protests effectively. This announcement was made after ongoing demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT.”

This potential troop deployment underscores the administration’s stern stance on maintaining order amid civil unrest, with the situation in Minnesota remaining a focal point of national attention.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are already hosting some 3,000 federal agents deployed there after a massive fraud scandal rocked the state late last year.

Protesters across the Twin Cities have followed and harassed federal agents as they carry out operations, leading to confrontations and the killing of activist Renee Nicole Good by federal agents in the opening days of January.

Aliya Rahman is detained by federal agents near the scene where Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Adam Gray/AP)

Trump toned down the pressure in a statement on Friday, saying he did not see at that point a reason to invoke the Insurrection Act.

“I believe it was Bush, the elder Bush, he used it, I think 28 times,” Trump told reporters while departing the White House. “It’s been used a lot. And if I needed it, I’d use it. I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it. It’s very powerful.”

The readiness order for the 11th Airborne Division was given prior to the Friday statement.

The Insurrection Act reportedly has not been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which began after four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King.

Despite Trump’s threat, some Republicans are resistant to the idea of using the centuries-old law. 

Members of law enforcement work the scene following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., seemed to downplay Trump’s threat, placing his hope in local law enforcement’s ability to “settle things down.”

“Hopefully the local officials working with not only the federal law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also the local law enforcement officials, will be able to settle things down,” Thune told reporters.