US to deploy 1,500 troops to Minnesota protest site if situation escalates: Reports

As Minnesota protests continue, the Pentagon ordered about 1,500 soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment. The protests against the government’s deportation programme is gaining more supporters and only going stronger by the day after violence was reported at the site. As per news outlet the Washington Post, the army has placed units on standby in case of violence and if the matter escalates. Citing defense officials, the report highlighted that it is not clear whether any of them will be sent.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also highlighted the success of Operation Metro Surge. They claimed to have arrested the“worst of the worst criminal illegal aliensfrom Minnesota neighborhoodsincludingmurderers, violent assailants, and one criminal illegal alien with TWENTY-FOUR convictions.”

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “As our law enforcement are facing rampant violence against them, they arrested murderers, drug traffickers, and an illegal with 24 criminal convictions in Minneapolis yesterday."

“These are the criminals Governor Walz and Mayor Frey are protecting. No American wants these criminals for neighbors," she added.

The recent Minnesota shooting has highlighted the plight of immigrants in the US. The tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now under the scanner after the January 7 incident. Data released shows that immigration detention centers can also be deadly environments for those being held in them.

Press releases from ICE reveal that a number of people have died in custody in the just first few days of 2026 -- immediately following a year when migrant detainee deaths reached a 20-year high and the number of ICE detentions increased exponentially. More than 68,000 adults were in ICE detention as of the end of December, up from about 36,000 in December 2023, agency data shows.