Whew! the pressure is building, and the streets can feel it.
About 1,500 U.S. soldiers are currently on standby in Alaska, ready to be sent to Minneapolis if things escalate further, according to a U.S. defense official speaking to news outlets.
The troops are being held as a backup plan for President Donald Trump as protests tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE,continue to roll through the city.
The official said the soldiers are “an option” if Trump decides to bring in active-duty military forces. As of right now, “No decision has yet been made on whether to deploy the soldiers from Alaska,” the official added to CBS.
RELATED:Donald Trump Orders Deployment Of Troops To Portland — Says He’s Authorizing ‘Full Force’
The troops come from the 11th Airborne Division based at Fort Wainwright, a combat-ready unit now watching Minneapolis from thousands of miles away while the city wrestles with another chapter of unrest.
As we previously reported, the demonstrations were reignited after Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent earlier this month. Since her death on January 7, Minneapolis has seen a steady wave of protests, loud, emotional, and fueled by grief and anger. Across the city and beyond, people have flooded the streets holding signs reading “Justice for Renee,” a message that shows no signs of fading.
State and local leaders have urged demonstrators to stay peaceful, even as tensions run high. Many protesters say calm isn’t easy when federal agents are patrolling neighborhoods and accountability feels distant.
Adding to the moment, a federal judge stepped in this week to draw a line around protester rights. On Friday, Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that ICE agents cannot arrest or pepper spray demonstrators who are “peaceful and unobstructive,” including those simply watching or documenting enforcement actions.
Meanwhile, the possibility of federal troops entering the city has raised serious concerns.
Last week, Trump openly threatened to use the Insurrection Act, a rarely invoked law that allows active-duty military forces to carry out law enforcement inside the United States, a move that many see as extreme and dangerous.
As the day continues with rallies and protests, one thing is clear, the city isn’t done demanding answers, and the call for justice for Renee Good isn’t going quiet anytime soon.