Friday, January 16, 2026 -President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, warning that federal troops could be deployed if state authorities fail to stop protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Trump made the threat in a post on Truth Social on Thursday,
January 15, describing protesters as “professional agitators and
insurrectionists” and accusing Minnesota politicians of failing to protect ICE
agents carrying out their duties.
“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,” Trump
wrote.
The president’s comments followed a series of violent
incidents involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. Last week, an
ICE officer shot and killed a protester, Renee Good. On Wednesday night, a
federal agent shot and injured another man during an arrest attempt.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the
injured man was shot in the leg after resisting arrest. DHS said that during
the struggle, two individuals emerged from a nearby apartment and attacked the
officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle, prompting the officer to fire
what the agency described as a “defensive shot” out of fear for his life.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
have condemned the federal presence in the city, arguing that ICE operations
are escalating tensions. Following both shootings, state and city officials
renewed calls for federal immigration officers to leave Minneapolis.
“The City of Minneapolis again demands that ICE leave the
city and state immediately,” the city said in a statement. “We stand by our
immigrant and refugee communities and affirm our full support.”
The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, grants the president the authority to deploy the military and federalize National Guard
units within the country to suppress rebellion, domestic violence, or enforce
federal law in extreme circumstances. The law provides an exception to the
Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits the military from participating
in domestic law enforcement.
While often confused with martial law, the Insurrection Act
allows the military to assist civilian authorities rather than replace them
entirely.
The act has been invoked about 30 times in U.S. history. Its
most recent use was in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush deployed federal
troops to Los Angeles to quell riots following the acquittal of police officers
involved in the beating of Rodney King. Earlier uses were common during the
civil rights era, when presidents sent troops to enforce school desegregation
orders.
Trump previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act
during nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and
in 2025 during LA protests against ICE.
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