Trump ‘ready to invoke Insurrection Act and send troops into Minnesota | World | News
US President Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy troops to Minnesota if state officials fail to halt what he describes as “professional agitators and insurrectionists” obstructing federal immigration operations, amid escalating protests in Minneapolis following two recent shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote: “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.”
READ MORE: Hollywood stars team up to humiliate Donald Trump at Golden Globes
READ MORE: Trump health bombshell as President could be ‘removed from presidency’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a picture of allgedly vandalised ICE vehicles (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The warning follows days of unrest triggered by ICE’s intensified operations in the city as part of the administration’s mass deportation efforts. Tensions escalated on January 7 when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, mother of three, poet and writer, in her maroon Honda Pilot SUV during an encounter on a snowy south Minneapolis street.
Video footage showed officers surrounding Ms Good’s vehicle as she stopped sideways in the road. Witnesses and her family describe her as being present to support neighbours who used whistles to alert the community to ICE’s presence, rather than as a protester.
Ms Good’s wife, Becca Good, stated: “On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbours. We had whistles. They had guns.” She described Ms Good as embodying compassion and kindness, noting they were raising their son to value empathy for all.
Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, claimed Ms Good deliberately used her vehicle as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism,” justifying the shooting in self-defence. However, Minnesota officials and eyewitnesses have disputed this account, with local leaders calling for de-escalation and a transparent investigation. The FBI is probing the incident.
Protests intensified after a second shooting on Wednesday, when a federal agent wounded a Venezuelan migrant in the leg during an arrest attempt. Authorities said the man was attacked with a shovel, prompting self-defence; he was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. Clashes involved flash bangs, chemical irritants and reports of protesters damaging federal vehicles.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed support for ICE agents during a briefing, labelling protesters “leftist insurrectionists.” Secretary Noem confirmed discussions with Trump about the Insurrection Act but provided no timeline for action.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged a cooling of tensions, while Attorney General Keith Ellison dismissed claims of justification for federal intervention.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to deploy the military for domestic unrest without congressional approval, though its use remains rare and controversial.
No invocation has occurred, but the situation remains volatile with ongoing demonstrations, federal deployments of thousands of agents and legal challenges from state officials.
