President Donald Trump has signaled that he could activate the Insurrection Act — a rarely used federal law that permits the deployment of U.S. military forces domestically — in response to growing protests in Minneapolis. The unrest has been fueled by demonstrations against federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city, which intensified after two recent shootings involving ICE agents, including one that left a man wounded.
In posts on social media, Trump urged Minnesota officials to stop what he called “agitators and insurrectionists” targeting ICE personnel. He said if local authorities fail to control the situation, he would use the Insurrection Act to send in troops to “put an end” to the turmoil.
The streets of Minneapolis have seen repeated clashes between protesters and law enforcement, with officers at times using tear gas and other crowd-management tactics amid protests against what many residents say is an overly aggressive federal enforcement presence.
Local leaders, including the city’s mayor and governor, have criticized the federal approach and called for calm, while the federal government says its actions are aimed at addressing immigration violations and maintaining public safety.
