The Pentagon’s Northern Command over the weekend stood down more than 1,500 federal troops placed on alert for potential deployment to Minneapolis, according to two U.S.officials with direct knowledge of the situation. ABC News first reported that roughly 1,500 active duty soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska had been ordered to prepare for a possible mission to the Twin Cities in Minnesota.Additional units across the country, including some 200 Texas National Guard troops, also had been directed to make preparations.No specific mission was ever outlined, and placing units on alert is a relatively routine step when commanders anticipate a potential presidential order, according to officials familiar with the planning.
The New York Times was the first to report that units were being taken off high alert.President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, February 2, 2026.Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersThe prepare-to-deploy orders came as President Donald Trump, threatened to use the Insurrection Act of 1807, a rarely used statute that grants a president authority to deploy federal troops for domestic law enforcement missions under limited circumstances.What is the Insurrection Act that Trump is threatening to use against Minnesota protests?The law has been invoked most frequently during the Civil Rights era, particularly to enforce court-ordered desegregation and quell large-scale unrest.The order to stand down comes as the Trump administration has signaled a potential de-escalation in Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two people involving federal officers.People gather in The Commons after a protest march, Friday, Jan.30, 2026, in Minneapolis.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)The Associated PressOn Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that every officer in Minneapolis will start to wear body cameras. Popular Reads'Bring her home': Savannah Guthrie addresses her mother mis...