Pentagon readies 1,500 troops to control Minnesota riots – report | 18 Jan 2026 | The Pentagon has ordered approximately 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops to prepare for a possible deployment to quell unrest in Minnesota, the Washington Post wrote on Sunday, citing defense officials. Months of demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the area spiked sharply earlier in January following the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis. The Pentagon has now put troops from the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division on standby in case the violence in Minnesota escalates, WaPo wrote, citing a U.S. defense official. It is not yet clear if they will be deployed, he reportedly said.