Soldiers are on standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis, a US defence official has told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
The official said the 1,500 soldiers, currently in Alaska, are an option for US president Donald Trump if he decided to use active duty military personnel, as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations continued in the city on Saturday.
No decision has yet been made on whether to deploy the soldiers from Alaska, the official said.
Minnesota officials have urged protesters to stay orderly and peaceful during demonstrations after an ICE agent shot dead US citizen Renee Good earlier this month.