1,500 soldiers on standby, source says, as tensions flare in Minnesota over immigration crackdown
CNN
Demonstrators are continuing to brave frigid temperatures in Minneapolis to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Follow for live updates.
• Troops on standby: The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota, according to a source, while state officials have mobilized the National Guard. It does not mean a deployment is imminent or guaranteed, the source said. • More agents to be deployed: The Pentagon’s move follows reports of an expected surge in Customs and Border Protection agents and other federal personnel, including a small number of FBI agents. • Protests flare: Demonstrations are continuing amid frigid weather, with occasional clashes breaking out. Right-wing influencer Jake Lang was chased away while leading a small rally. And a group of protesters disrupted services at a church where they say an ICE official serves as a pastor, according to the Associated Press. At least three hotels in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have closed or are not accepting reservations, with no rooms available for booking before early February at the DoubleTree and Intercontinental hotels in downtown St. Paul and the Hilton Canopy hotel in Minneapolis. “We have made the decision to temporarily suspend operations at two of our St. Paul hotels - Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront and DoubleTree St. Paul Downtown - in response to elevated safety and security concerns,” Minnesota property management group Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures, which owns the hotels, said in a Facebook statement Sunday. The statement did not specify what the safety and security concerns were.
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for deployment to Minnesota, according to defense officials cited by The Washington Post and ABC News, as Minnesota officials have also mobilized the National Guard.
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