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President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 as protests against federal immigration enforcement intensified in Minnesota, following two separate shootings involving federal officers in the Minneapolis area, according to Reuters.
The threat, aimed at deploying military forces in support of domestic law enforcement, landed in the middle of an increasingly volatile confrontation between the White House and Minnesota’s Democratic leaders over immigration tactics, public safety, and the limits of federal power inside U.S. cities.
A Week of Protests, Then Another Shooting
The protests began after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis. Federal officials said the officer fired in self-defense, arguing Good used her vehicle to harm an officer, while Minnesota leaders and local officials disputed the federal narrative and demanded accountability.
Tensions surged again Wednesday night when a federal law enforcement officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg during what the Department of Homeland Security described as a targeted traffic stop that escalated into an altercation.
The man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to public reporting and official statements carried by major outlets.
DHS said the suspect fled, crashed into a parked car, then fought with officers during the arrest, including an alleged assault involving improvised weapons.
Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, described the situation as spiraling and warned that the city cannot sustain the current level of confrontation.
Trump’s Threat: “Insurrection Act” on the Table
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Trump, speaking as protests continued and clashes with federal officers were reported overnight, said he could invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that permits the president to deploy military forces domestically under specific circumstances.
The warning carried a clear political intent. Trump argued Minnesota officials were failing to control unrest and framed federal operations as necessary enforcement under his administration’s immigration crackdown.
The Insurrection Act has long been controversial because it can expand a president’s reach into domestic law enforcement, raising legal and civil liberties concerns, particularly when deployed over the objections of state and local leadership.
Minnesota Pushback: “Get Out of Our City”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly criticized the federal response and the scale of deployment, saying the operations are fueling instability rather than restoring calm.
Reuters reported that nearly 3,000 federal officers were deployed to Minneapolis, many wearing military-style gear, as protests continued night after night with reports of tear gas and flash-bang grenades.
Local officials have urged peaceful protest while warning that aggressive enforcement tactics are producing predictable blowback in communities already on edge.
A National Political Collision, Playing Out on One City’s Streets
The Minneapolis unrest has quickly become a national flashpoint in Trump’s broader immigration strategy, with federal authorities defending enforcement surges and Democratic leaders calling them chaotic, punitive, and legally suspect.
Public opinion is already fracturing around the violence.
A Quinnipiac poll reported by ABC News found 53% of voters said the shooting of Renee Good was not justified , reflecting rising skepticism about the use of force and the safety impact of ICE units and operations.
Reuters also described division inside the Republican coalition itself, citing split views over aggressive immigration tactics and forceful crackdowns.
What Happens Next
Minnesota remains the center of a widening struggle over federal policing powers and immigration enforcement escalation.
With another shooting now added to the timeline, the political incentives are hardening on both sides, and the risk of miscalculation grows each night protests continue.
For now, the Insurrection Act threat sits as a pressure point, one with historical weight, constitutional consequences, and immediate stakes for a city trying to prevent the next confrontation from becoming the next tragedy.
