Trump threatens to send Federal Troops to quash Minneapolis Protests against ICE

US 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 dont 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 presidents 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 U.S. 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. The post Trump threatens to send Federal Troops to quash Minneapolis Protests against ICE appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.