United States President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that he may invoke the Insurrection Act, a centuries-old law that would allow him to deploy the military domestically, as unrest continues in Minnesota following confrontations between federal agents and local residents. The protests began after a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7. The incident sparked days of demonstrations and heightened scrutiny of federal tactics.
Tensions flared again on Wednesday evening when another ICE agent shot and wounded a man in north Minneapolis during a traffic stop. According to law enforcement, the man assaulted the officer with a shovel and broom handle before the agent fired, injuring him in the leg. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said if state leaders in Minnesota do not rein in what he described as “professional agitators and insurrectionists” targeting federal agents, he would “institute the Insurrection Act” to end the unrest.The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to deploy military forces to suppress civil disorder and enforce federal law inside the United States — a power that has not been used in decades.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she believes the president has the constitutional authority to use the law, but stopped short of saying whether such a step would happen. State and local leaders, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have urged calm and often criticized the heavy federal presence, warning against further escalation.
The situation in Minneapolis has drawn widespread coverage, with various civil liberties groups and elected officials questioning the use of force and federal tactics. Thousands of federal agents have been deployed as part of enhanced immigration enforcement operations, which have seen numerous arrests, confrontations with protesters, and growing legal and political pushback.
