Trump Threatens Insurrection Act To Stop Anti-ICE Protests

President Donald Trump has warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act to send US troops into Minnesota, as protests and clashes intensify in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement.

The threat followed another night of unrest after a federal immigration officer shot a man in the leg during an operation in the city’s north side. The Department of Homeland Security said the officer opened fire after being attacked by three Venezuelan nationals using a shovel and a broom handle. The man who was shot, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, and the officer were both taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All three men were arrested.

Trump took to Truth Social to issue a stark warning, saying he would step in if state leaders failed to restore order. “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,” he wrote.

The rarely used law, passed in 1807, allows a president to deploy active-duty military forces inside the US to carry out law enforcement. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the decision rests solely with Trump, adding that the post “spoke very loud and clear to Democrats across this country”.

Minneapolis has been on edge since 7th January, when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, during an immigration operation. Federal authorities say the agent acted in self-defence, claiming Good tried to drive her car at the officers. City officials and civil rights groups dispute that account of the events, saying she posed no immediate threat to the agents. The FBI is investigating the shooting.

Good’s death sparked nationwide protests and vigils, and tensions have only grown as thousands of federal officers were deployed across Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge. Minneapolis police said officers were hit by fireworks, ice and snowballs during clashes this week, while the FBI reported damage and theft from federal vehicles. The bureau is now offering up to $100,000 for information leading to arrests and recovery of stolen property.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, pushed back strongly against Trump’s rhetoric and urged calm. “I am making a direct appeal to the president: let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” he said. Addressing residents, he added: “We can – we must – speak out loudly, urgently but also peacefully. We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed those concerns, writing online that “Minnesota needs ICE to leave, not an escalation that brings additional federal troops beyond the 3,000 already here.”

The Trump administration has defended its actions. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer involved in the latest shooting was “ambushed and attacked” and fired in self-defence. She also confirmed discussing the Insurrection Act with Trump, saying he “certainly has the constitutional authority to utilize that”.

Political tensions escalated further after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Walz and Frey of encouraging violence, writing that he was focused on stopping them from “terrorism”.

Public opinion appears divided. Recent polling shows a majority of Americans believe the killing of Renee Nicole Good was not justified, and broader surveys suggest concern that Trump is going too far in using presidential power. Still, the president has made clear that federal immigration operations will continue in Minnesota after a judge rejected a bid by state prosecutors to temporarily block ICE actions.

As protests continue and investigations unfold, Minnesota remains a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration enforcement, federal power and the limits of presidential authority.