The New York Times reported Tuesday that 11th Airborne Division soldiers from Alaska have been told to stand down after receiving orders last month to prepare to deploy to Minnesota.
The story in the Times said the U.S. Northern Command “quietly ordered the active-duty troops on standby to stand down” last weekend. It cited an unnamed source who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about the operation.
The Northern Command is the 11th Airborne’s higher headquarters.
The Pentagon placed more than 1,500 11th Airborne soldiers on heightened alert in mid-January. The orders were to prepare for deployment to Minnesota to support the federal immigration crackdown that was provoking mass protests and violent clashes.
The Division has some 12,000 soldiers, most of whom are stationed at its headquarters at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson and at Fort Wainwright.
The Times story said 11th Airborne soldiers from North Carolina also were ordered to stand down.
A Division spokesperson on Tuesday referred KUAC’s queries about the standdown report to the White House press office. But as of this afternoon, the office has not yet responded to those queries.
Editor's note: This story has been updated.
