Month: January 2026

The U.S. military has directed roughly 1,500 active-duty Army personnel to be ready for a potential mission to Minnesota, according to U.S. defense officials, as tensions rise following large demonstrations tied to federal immigration enforcement efforts.  Citing unnamed defense officials, The Washington Post reported that the army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the northern state escalates – adding that it is not clear whether any of them ⁠will be sent.

The soldiers are drawn from two infantry battalions within the Army’s 11th Airborne Division stationed in Alaska, with the division known for operating in extreme cold environments. Officials described the move as a contingency measure should conditions in Minnesota deteriorate, emphasizing that no final decision has been made on whether the troops will actually be sent.

Defense officials said the order reflects routine planning rather than an imminent deployment. The White House echoed that position, noting that the Pentagon must remain ready for “any decision the President may or may not make.” A Defense Department spokesperson added that the military stands prepared to carry out lawful directives from the commander in chief. Officials also stressed that the preparation has no connection to recent comments by President Donald Trump regarding Greenland.

The heightened alert follows Trump’s public warnings that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota leaders fail to prevent protesters from interfering with immigration officers. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT.”  Despite that threat, Trump later appeared to soften his stance, saying there was no need to invoke the law “right now,” while adding, “If I needed it, I’d use it.”

The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, allows a president to deploy active-duty troops or take control of a state’s National Guard in response to rebellion or severe civil disorder. Its use is rare and generally viewed as a last resort. The most recent invocation came in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush sent troops to Los Angeles during riots that left dozens dead and caused extensive damage. Even without invoking the statute, presidents can deploy military forces domestically for limited purposes, such as guarding federal property or personnel. Trump relied on that authority when he sent Marines to Los Angeles during earlier protests.

Minnesota has become a focal point of the administration’s immigration agenda since December, when the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge.  In response to the unrest in his city, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the federal response, arguing it was designed to provoke confrontation. Frey said on CNN: “We’re not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they’re trying to set up to do right now, which is these 1,500 troops. I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”

Frey, along with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. Walz has authorized the state’s National Guard to assist local agencies if needed, though the troops have not been deployed. At the same time, the Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether Walz, Frey, and other Democratic officials obstructed immigration enforcement. Both leaders have condemned the probe as politically motivated, with Frey stating that his office had not yet received a subpoena. He called the investigation “deeply concerning,” and added, “This whole investigation would ultimately be the product of one of the most basic, foundational responsibilities that I have as mayor, which is to speak on behalf of my constituents.”

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European leaders have issued a joint statement after President Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on key allies unless they agree to negotiations over U.S. control of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The diplomatic flare-up erupted after Trump said Saturday that the United States would pursue the purchase of Greenland and penalize countries opposing that goal with trade measures. He later announced plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from eight European countries beginning Feb. 1, with the rate rising to 25 percent on June 1, remaining in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

The tariff threat targets Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. All eight nations issued a rare joint statement condemning the move, warning that the proposed measures “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” The leaders said they stood in “full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland and reaffirmed their commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement followed the recent deployment of small numbers of European troops to Greenland as part of a Danish-led NATO exercise known as Arctic Endurance. European leaders stressed the operation was defensive and coordinated among allies. “As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” the statement said, adding that the exercise “poses no threat to anyone.”

European Council President António Costa said late Sunday that the leaders of the European Union’s 27 member states will convene an extraordinary meeting “in the coming days” to address the escalating dispute. EU officials indicated the in-person summit is expected to take place Thursday, Jan. 22, following emergency consultations among EU ambassadors in Brussels.

The response from European capitals has been unusually blunt. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the use of trade pressure against allies, with his office saying he told Trump directly that “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is wrong.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden would not be “blackmailed,” while Norway’s leader warned that “threats have no place among allies.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed the show of unity, saying, “I am pleased with the consistent messages from the rest of the continent: Europe will not be blackmailed.” Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said Copenhagen would continue dialogue with Washington in hopes of persuading Trump to abandon his ambitions regarding Greenland.

France signaled it may consider retaliatory tools if the dispute escalates. A French official close to Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Paris had activated its diplomatic network “to coordinate a European response to the new, unacceptable tariff threats issued by President Trump,” including discussions about the possible use of the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. President Emmanuel Macron publicly suggested the mechanism could be an option if negotiations fail.

The issue has also drawn sharp reactions beyond Europe. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that internal divisions would benefit China and Russia, writing that “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.”

Even some of Trump’s ideological allies abroad have expressed unease. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the tariff plan “a mistake,” and France’s far-right National Rally leader Jordan Bardella described the move as “commercial blackmail.” In Britain, criticism of the proposal united parties across the political spectrum, including the right-wing Reform UK.

The response from the European Union came following weeks of increasingly forceful U.S. rhetoric on Greenland, which Trump has repeatedly described as strategically vital due to its location and mineral resources. Danish and Greenlandic officials have consistently rejected the idea that the territory is for sale, a stance reiterated in recent talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

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