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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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The Pentagon has told more U.S. military personnel to prepare for deployment to Minnesota, MS Now reported Wednesday, amid ongoing tensions over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations.
In a prepare-to-deploy order shared with the outlet by officials who sought to remain anonymous, members of an Army military police brigade in North Carolina were warned of a potential operation involving a few hundred soldiers.
Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, arguing federal agents are under attack as protests continue over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the Twin Cities. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, have warned against escalation and sued the federal government over agents' actions.
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What To Know
The troops notified on Wednesday were in addition to a reported 1,500 personnel already urged to prepare for deployment to Minnesota last Friday.
A potential deployment would likely seek to protect federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where protests have raged since the death of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot by an ICE agent on January 7.
Trump has accused Walz and Frey of inciting violence toward ICE and Border Patrol agents, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoenaing the two leaders and other Democratic officials on Tuesday.
Walz has accused ICE of "pulling over off duty cops based on the color of their skin," saying on X: "This is not a serious operation to enforce immigration law. It’s a performative show of force and it’s gotten way out of hand."
Local police have sought to manage protests and encouraged locals to remain calm while exercising their First Amendment rights. Police officers have not been involved in ICE operations, something the Trump administration has frequently complained about in Democrat-led sanctuary cities over the past year.
Last year, in Los Angeles, hundreds of active-duty Marines were deployed amid protests, but were only allowed to stand guard around federal buildings, rather than engage in federal law enforcement.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last Thursday: "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."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said on X on January 15: "I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets. But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants."
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Fox News Tuesday: "This state is a mess right now. We've seen the chaos and it's constant. And our men and women in law enforcement deserve to be safe. And that's what we're going to do in Minnesota."
What Happens Next
The Pentagon has not confirmed the potential deployment.
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