President Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to ‘put an end’ to protests in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he may invoke the Insurrection Act and send U.S. troops to Minneapolis in response to ongoing protests aimed at federal immigration officers operating in the city as part of his administration’s large-scale immigration enforcement effort.
Trump’s comments followed another violent incident involving federal agents. A day earlier, an immigration officer shot and wounded a man in Minneapolis after authorities say the man attacked the officer with a shovel and a broom handle. The shooting intensified tensions that have gripped the city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renee Good earlier this month.
In a post on social media, Trump accused Minnesota officials of failing to control what he described as organized agitators and warned that federal intervention could follow. He said that if state leaders do not restore order and protect ICE officers, he would use the Insurrection Act to end what he called lawlessness in the state.
The Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law, allows the president to deploy the military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement. It has been used more than two dozen times in U.S. history, most recently in 1992 during unrest in Los Angeles, when local officials requested federal assistance.
The Associated Press contacted the offices of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for comment.
The Department of Homeland Security said it has carried out more than 2,000 immigration-related arrests in Minnesota since early December and has no plans to scale back operations. ICE operates under DHS.
Protests and unrest continue
On Wednesday night, federal officers wearing helmets and gas masks fired tear gas near the site of the most recent shooting as smoke spread through the area. Protesters threw rocks and launched fireworks in response.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gathering had been declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to disperse. By early Thursday morning, only a small number of demonstrators and officers remained.
Protests have been frequent in Minneapolis since ICE fatally shot 37-year-old Good on Jan. 7. Federal agents have detained people from vehicles and homes, drawing angry reactions from residents demanding the officers leave the city.
Mayor Frey said Minneapolis is struggling to manage the situation while trying to protect residents and maintain public order. He criticized the federal presence, saying the force now operating in the city is several times larger than the local police department and has frightened residents.
Details of the latest shooting
According to DHS, federal officers stopped a driver from Venezuela who authorities say is in the U.S. illegally. The driver fled, crashed into a parked car, and ran on foot. DHS said that after officers caught up with the person, two additional individuals came from a nearby apartment and all three attacked an officer.
The officer fired a single shot, DHS said, believing his life was in danger. Two of the three individuals were taken into custody. Police said the wounded man was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.
The incident occurred several miles north of where Good was killed earlier this month. O’Hara said the department’s understanding of events aligns closely with DHS’s account.
Before the latest shooting, Gov. Walz said the situation in Minnesota had descended into chaos and argued that the federal response had gone far beyond immigration enforcement. He accused the federal government of using excessive force against residents.
Questions surrounding Good’s death
A Homeland Security official told the AP that the ICE officer who killed Good suffered internal bleeding during the encounter. The official spoke anonymously and did not provide details about the severity or timing of the injury.
Good was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV near her home. Video from the scene shows officers ordering her to open the door. As the vehicle began moving forward, one officer fired multiple shots at close range.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said the officer was struck by the vehicle and that Good used her SUV as a weapon, a claim disputed by Minnesota officials. The officer’s attorney declined to comment.
Good’s family has hired the same law firm that represented George Floyd’s family in their civil case against Minneapolis. Floyd died in 2020 after being restrained by a police officer, a case that sparked nationwide protests.
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