Trump Threatens Insurrection Act in Minnesota After Second ICE Clash
President Trump warned Thursday that he may invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota if state officials fail to stop what he called “professional agitators and insurrectionists” targeting federal immigration officers.
The warning follows a second ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis in just over a week. According to the Department of Homeland Security, a federal agent was attacked by three individuals while attempting to detain a Venezuelan illegal immigrant. DHS says the agent was struck with a snow shovel and a broomstick before firing a defensive shot that hit one of the attackers in the leg. Two others were arrested. The agent was also taken to the hospital.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE, who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the Insurrection Act,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “It will quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great state.”
The Insurrection Act allows the president to deploy active-duty military and federalize the National Guard. It was last used in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots. Trump previously floated the idea in 2020 when Democrat-led cities descended into chaos but never officially used it.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that a scuffle took place between a federal agent and another individual, but did not confirm DHS’s account that it was an ambush. Protesters gathered near the scene soon after, some throwing fireworks at law enforcement.
Governor Tim Walz responded to the incident by claiming Trump is the one fueling the unrest. “What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets,” he said. “Don’t give him what he wants.” Walz has already been under fire for allowing billions in welfare fraud to go unchecked during his administration.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also condemned the presence of federal agents and claimed local residents were asking the police to “fight ICE agents on the street.” He said the situation amounts to “government entities literally fighting one another.”
Trump, meanwhile, continues to assert that the protests are being organized by professional operatives. At one demonstration last week, AFL-CIO organizers were heard telling demonstrators they were wrapping up after “hitting the goal time.”
Federal officials have described the earlier shooting of Renee Good as an act of domestic terrorism. Good blocked a road with her vehicle and refused to exit before accelerating into ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who then shot her. Ross has since gone into hiding after receiving death threats, according to former ICE Director Tom Homan.
Trump says if state officials refuse to protect federal agents, he will. And he’s making it clear he’s not bluffing.