Federal agents are executing warrants at Twin Cities daycare providers

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Up to 1,500 U.S. active-duty troops in Alaska are on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota, a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly has confirmed to NPR.

The move comes days after President Trump again 

threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act

 to control ongoing protests over the immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis as well as clashes between federal agents and residents. Trump later walked back that threat.

The troops on standby are from the Army's 11th Airborne Division, which specializes in cold weather operations, 

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Sunday in an emailed statement to NPR that the “Department of War is always prepared to execute the orders of the Commander-in-Chief if called upon.”

Over the weekend, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz 

 to prepare for possible deployment to assist local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, though they have not been deployed yet.

 that these “Minnesota National Guardsmen live, work, and serve in our state, and are focused on protecting life, preserving property, and ensuring Minnesotans can safely exercise their First Amendment rights.” If activated, members would wear yellow reflective vests to “help distinguish them from other agencies in similar uniforms.”

The developments follow days of rising tensions, confrontations and violence stemming from what the Department of Homeland Security has described as its largest operation in history, involving thousands of federal agents, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday that it would be a “shocking step” if Trump sent the military into the city, too.

“To those that are paying attention, you've got to understand how wild this is right now,” Frey said. “In Minneapolis, crime is dramatically down. We don't need more federal agents to keep people safe. We are safe.”

Joseph Nunn, an attorney at the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program, said the Insurrection Act is a “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency type of tool.” It is meant to be used when civilian authorities are overwhelmed by a crisis, he said, and not simply to quell protests — even violent protests.

“It would be a flagrant abuse of the Insurrection Act” if Trump invoked it now, Nunn said, “unlike anything that's ever happened before in the history of the country.”

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Immigration enforcement in Minnesota

Joe Hernandez

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The move comes after President Trump again threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to control ongoing protests over the immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis.

U.S. military troops on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota

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