President Donald Trump has warned that he could invoke the Insurrection Act and send U.S. troops to Minnesota if state authorities don’t try to quell protests against federal immigration authorities, saying federal immigration authorities are “just trying to do their job.”
His warning comes as widespread protests and political tension grip Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis, following two recent shootings by federal immigration agents. This includes the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
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Here’s what we know:
What did Donald Trump say?
On Thursday, President Trump threatened in a social media post that he could use the Insurrection Act to crack down on protesters in Minnesota.
“I will enact the Insurrection Act if it will stop the corrupt politicians in Minnesota from not following the law and the professional agitators and insurrectionists who attack ICE patriots who are just trying to do their job,” President Trump said on his Truth social platform.
After the post, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt told reporters that only President Trump can decide whether and when to invoke the centuries-old law.
“That’s just a question … the president can answer, but the Insurrection Act is a tool at the president’s disposal,” Levitt said.
“I think the president’s ‘Truth Social’ posts spoke very loud and clear to Democrats across the country who are elected officials who are using their platforms to encourage violence against federal law enforcement officers and encourage left-wing agitators to unlawfully disrupt lawful law enforcement operations,” she added.
Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota lawmakers, are pushing back against accusations by the Trump administration and its Republican allies that it is provoking anti-ICE protesters.
Instead, they criticized the actions of ICE officers and accused the Trump administration of using enforcement agencies to sow chaos and violence in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said she had discussed the possibility of using the Insurrection Act with the president.
“He certainly has the constitutional authority to use that,” Noem told reporters outside the White House.
What is the Insurrection Act of 1807?
The Insurrection Act is a law passed in 1807 that authorizes the president of the United States to send federal troops into the country to restore order and enforce the law.
When invoked, the law temporarily overrides other regulations that normally prevent the military from enforcing civil law. The president can use this system if he deems that normal courts or police cannot enforce the law due to riots or insurrection.
The law does not clearly define what is considered “rebellion” or “rebellion.” In an 1827 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that only the president has the power to decide when the law applies.
Legal experts say the Insurrection Act is intended to be applied only in extreme situations where normal law enforcement fails.
The system has been used 30 times in U.S. history, including to force school desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
It was last used during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, during which the police officer who assaulted Rodney King, a black man, was acquitted. The president at the time was Republican George H.W. Bush.
But this is not the first time President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act.
Last July, when the president’s attempt to send the National Guard to Portland was blocked by a court, Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act to avoid legal challenges.
How is the Minnesota state government responding?
Minnesota Governor Walz called on President Trump to refrain from speaking out and reduce tensions in the state.
“I appeal directly to the president: Let’s lower the temperature. Let’s stop this campaign of revenge. This is not who we are.”
And he added a message for Minnesotans: “I know this is scary. We can and must speak out loudly, urgently, but peacefully. We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants,” Walz posted on X.
Meanwhile, Mayor Frey of Minneapolis wrote to X, “What Minnesota needs is the withdrawal of ICE, not an expansion that would mobilize additional federal troops beyond the 3,000 already there.”
On Wednesday night, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Walz and Frey, both Democrats, needed to stop “terrorism.”
“The riots in Minnesota are a direct result of a failed governor and a terrible mayor encouraging violence against law enforcement. It’s disgusting,” Blanche wrote on X. “Waltz and Frey, I am focused on stopping your terrorism by any means necessary. This is not a threat. This is a promise.”
What happened in this state and how did we get here?
Protests and riots began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this month after a fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer.
On January 7, an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good while she was sitting in her car during a federal immigration operation.
Federal authorities said the officer acted in self-defense and claimed Good used his car as a weapon.
City leaders said Goode, an award-winning poet, was present as a legal observer monitoring ICE operations. Her death sparked rallies and protests, with demonstrators accusing federal officers of using excessive force.
The shootings occurred amid a major federal immigration crackdown that saw a large-scale deployment of law enforcement to the Twin Cities, Minnesota’s two largest metropolitan areas centered on Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said residents have reported aggressive tactics, including undercover officers stopping vehicles and detaining people. Federal officials deny wrongdoing.
The protests drew national attention, and days later, actors Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes wore badges commemorating ICE and Goode’s death at the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on January 11.
“This is for Renee Nicole Good, who was murdered,” Ruffalo told local media about his BE GOOD pin.
Tensions flared again on January 14 when another federal agent shot Julio Cesar Sosascelis, a Venezuelan national without legal status, in the leg during a traffic stop.
DHS said the officer was attempting to make a targeted arrest when Sosascelis and two other men assaulted him with shovels and broomsticks.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the officer fired because he feared for his life. Both the officer and Sosa Celis were taken to the hospital and are out of danger.
Later that night, protesters and police clashed in parts of Minneapolis. Police used tear gas and large numbers of demonstrators threw rocks and fireworks.
How do Americans feel about these recent events?
Vice President J.D. Vance said Goode’s death was “a tragedy of her own making,” but polls show many Americans disagree.
A Yahoo/YouGov poll of 1,709 American adults conducted between January 8 and 12 found that only 27% of respondents believed the shooting was justified. In contrast, 52% said it was not justified.
The public’s interest is not limited to this single incident.
Another poll shows that many Americans think Trump is using too much presidential power. According to an Associated Press-NORC poll, 62 percent of Americans believe President Trump is overstepping his authority in pursuing his goals.
This view extends to several policy areas, including the use of federal law enforcement, customs, and foreign policy.
On the specific issue of deploying federal troops to Minnesota, a separate YouGov poll found more people opposed than in favor, with 51 percent opposed and 34 percent in favor. Support was high among Republicans, but most Democrats and independents opposed the move.
