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Army stands down units eyed for possible Minnesota deployment

U.S. Northern Command has told Army units in North Carolina and Alaska to stand down from the short‑fuse 'prepare to deploy' orders that had put them on 48–72‑hour notice for a possible mission in Minnesota, according to the Twincities.com report. Those orders were part of Pentagon contingency planning as President Trump repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to Minneapolis‑centered ICE protests and unrest. The stand‑down means there is no active move right now to send additional active‑duty troops into the Twin Cities, even as hundreds of ICE and Border Patrol agents remain on the ground under Operation Metro Surge. The article notes the change follows intense political blowback, ongoing habeas wins for detainees in Minnesota federal court, and visible fears locally of a repeat of 2020‑style militarization. Social media reaction has been split: immigrant and civil‑rights groups are calling the stand‑down a partial victory of public pressure, while hard‑line commentators frame it as a missed opportunity to 'restore order' in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

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📌 Key Facts

  • U.S. Northern Command rescinded prepare‑to‑deploy orders for specific Army units in North Carolina and Alaska that had been put on short‑notice for a possible Minnesota mission.
  • The units were part of contingency planning tied to President Trump’s threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to Twin Cities protests over Operation Metro Surge and recent ICE/Border Patrol shootings.
  • The stand‑down does not end Operation Metro Surge — hundreds of federal immigration agents remain deployed in Minneapolis–St. Paul — but it reduces the immediate risk of an additional active‑duty military presence on city streets.

📊 Relevant Data

The intentional homicide rate in Venezuela was 26.8 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

Homicide rate in Venezuela from 2014 to 2023 — Statista

The intentional homicide rate in the United States was 5.7634 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

United States - Intentional Homicides (per 100,000 People) — Trading Economics

Undocumented immigrants have a property crime arrest rate of 38.5 per 100,000, compared to 165.2 per 100,000 for U.S.-born citizens.

Undocumented Immigrant Offending Rate Lower Than U.S.-Born Citizens in Texas — House Judiciary Committee

Venezuelan immigrants in the US had a median household income of $64,000 in 2021, compared to $70,000 for all immigrant- and native-led households.

Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute

The Insurrection Act has been invoked in response to 30 crises in US history, most recently in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots.

Sharing the Facts About the Insurrection Act — States United Democracy Center

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February 02, 2026