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President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to escalating protests in Minneapolis following a series of confrontations between demonstrators and federal immigration officers.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned Minnesota leaders to rein in the unrest, writing, "If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State."
The remarks came hours after a federal officer shot a man in the leg during an attempted traffic stop Wednesday night, an incident the Department of Homeland Security said occurred in self-defense. Protests have continued in the city since last
week, following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer during an enforcement operation.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded by urging calm and directly appealing to the president on social media. "Let's turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are," Walz wrote. Earlier, he said the federal presence was no longer "a matter of immigration enforcement," calling it "a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also pushed back against the possibility of further escalation. "Minnesota needs ICE to leave, not an escalation that brings additional federal troops beyond the 3,000 already here," he said, adding that his priority was keeping local law enforcement focused on public safety.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed she discussed the Insurrection Act with Trump, telling reporters that he has "constitutional authority" to invoke it, though she said she did not recommend its use. House Speaker Mike Johnson described the situation by saying, "Minnesota is out of control."
The Insurrection Act, a 19th-century law, allows a president to deploy active-duty military forces domestically without congressional approval and to federalize National Guard troops. It has been invoked more than 30 times, most recently in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would challenge any such action in court, warning of federal overreach. Protests continued Wednesday night as federal officers and demonstrators clashed amid tear gas and arrests, while state and city officials urged residents to exercise restraint.
