WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota after days of escalating protests against a surge in immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Tensions have risen sharply following the fatal shooting of US citizen Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent eight days ago. Protests intensified further after another incident in which an immigration officer shot and wounded a Venezuelan man during a vehicle stop in Minneapolis.
In a social media post, Trump warned Minnesota’s Democratic leadership to “obey the law” or face federal military intervention, accusing protesters of attacking ICE officers and labelling them “agitators and insurrectionists.”
The administration has already deployed nearly 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area. Officers, equipped with firearms and military-style gear, have faced continuous protests, including demonstrations involving whistles, drums and confrontations that resulted in the use of tear gas and flash-bang grenades.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the wounded Venezuelan man as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, stating he fled from officers and assaulted an agent during a struggle. DHS said the officer fired in self-defence. Court records reviewed by Reuters, however, indicate Sosa-Celis had only minor, non-criminal convictions.
Minnesota officials have strongly criticised the federal response. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the ICE surge as an “invasion” and called some federal actions “disgusting and intolerable,” urging restraint and dialogue.
The situation has sparked legal action, with Minnesota filing a lawsuit accusing ICE of unlawful conduct, including racial profiling and warrantless entries. The ACLU has also filed a similar suit. A federal judge is expected to rule soon on whether to temporarily halt the enforcement surge.
Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act — a rarely used 1807 law allowing military deployment during civil unrest — has divided public opinion and could trigger further legal challenges if enacted.