Soldiers are on standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis, a US defense official has informed CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
The official stated that the 1,500 soldiers, currently stationed in Alaska, would serve as a resource for the president should he opt to employ active-duty military personnel amidst ongoing anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations in the city this past Saturday.
Currently, no decision has been made regarding their deployment from Alaska, the official added.
Minnesota officials have requested that demonstrators maintain order and peaceful conduct during the protests that erupted following the shooting of US citizen Renee Good earlier this month by an ICE agent.
The soldiers are part of the 11th Airborne Division in Fort Wainwright, with the recent developments coinciding with a federal judge's ruling that restricts crowd control measures that ICE agents can employ against 'peaceful and unobstructive' protesters.
Judge Katherine Menendez has ruled that federal agents are prohibited from arresting or utilizing pepper spray against peaceful demonstrations, such as those aimed at monitoring or observing ICE agents.
The National Guard of Minnesota has been mobilized and placed on heightened alert by Governor Tim Walz, alongside other law enforcement bodies dispatched to Minneapolis as anti-ICE protests continue.
The protests are a direct response to increased ICE activity in the city and follow the tragic death of Good on January 7. Leaders from the city have stated that Good's role was that of a legal observer of ICE activities when she was shot.
In a controversial move, the Trump administration labeled her as a 'domestic terrorist,' further inflaming the situation.
Good's death has sparked nationwide protests, with demonstrators rallying under banners demanding 'Justice for Renee.'
