US Soldiers on Standby Amid Ongoing Protests in Minneapolis

Mon Jan 19 2026 10:47:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

About 1,500 soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division are on standby for potential deployment to Minneapolis as anti-ICE protests continue in the city following a controversial shooting incident.

Approximately 1,500 soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska are prepared for deployment to Minneapolis should President Trump decide to mobilize them in response to ongoing protests related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. This decision comes after the shooting of US citizen Renee Good by an ICE agent, inciting calls for peaceful protests and federal actions against demonstrators. Minneapolis officials express their concerns over the presence of federal agents and potential military involvement in enforcing law and order.

Soldiers are on standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis, a US defence official has told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The official said the 1,500 soldiers, currently in Alaska, are an option for US President Donald Trump if he decided to use active duty military personnel, as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations continued in the city on Saturday.

No decision has yet been made on whether to deploy the soldiers from Alaska, the official added.

Minnesota officials have urged protesters to remain orderly and peaceful during demonstrations after an ICE agent shot dead US citizen Renee Good earlier this month.

The soldiers are part of the 11th Airborne Division in Fort Wainwright, the official continued.

In a Sunday interview on CBS Face the Nation, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned Trump's threat to send more troops into the city, stating that the existing presence of federal ICE agents is already an occupying force that has literally invaded our city. Frey emphasized the unsettling feeling of having an increased military presence in conjunction with federal agents working in the city.

Last week, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law allowing active-duty military personnel to be deployed for law enforcement duties inside the US.

This comes as a US federal judge recently issued an order restricting the crowd control methods that federal agents can use against peaceful protesters in Minneapolis.

The judge's ruling stated that federal agents cannot arrest or use pepper spray against peaceful demonstrations, including individuals monitoring or observing ICE agents.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem countered the judge's ruling, calling it a little ridiculous because it didn't change how they operate in the field.

The state's National Guard has been mobilized and placed on alert by Governor Tim Walz, with other law enforcement officers deployed to Minneapolis ahead of the anti-ICE demonstrations.

Recent protests were sparked by ICE's activities in the city and followed the death of Good, who was there as a legal observer of ICE activity.

The Trump administration has labeled her a domestic terrorist, further fueling nationwide protests calling for justice.