US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military domestically following deadly and violent clashes between federal immigration agents and protesters in Minnesota.
The warning came after federal agents shot and wounded a Venezuelan man on Wednesday and fatally shot an American woman last week, incidents that have triggered widespread protests in Minneapolis and surrounding areas. Demonstrators have condemned what they describe as heavy-handed tactics used during ongoing immigration raids in the state, a Democratic stronghold.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Minnesota officials of failing to control what he described as “professional agitators and insurrectionists” targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He warned that if state leaders did not restore order, he would invoke the Insurrection Act — a rarely used emergency law that allows a president to deploy the military within the United States to suppress unrest.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz strongly criticised the federal response, accusing agents of carrying out what he called “a campaign of organised brutality” against residents. In a video shared online, Walz cited alleged abuses, including physical assaults on civilians, and urged protesters to remain peaceful while demanding an end to federal operations in the state. He also called on President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withdraw federal agents, describing their presence as an “occupation.”
Secretary Noem, speaking at a White House briefing, said the decision to invoke the Insurrection Act rests solely with the president.
Protests in Minneapolis have continued late into the night in recent days, with clashes reported between demonstrators and federal agents. Authorities have used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse crowds. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooting on Wednesday occurred during a struggle between an ICE agent and a man being apprehended. According to officials, the agent fired his weapon during the scuffle, injuring the suspect in the leg. Two other individuals were arrested after allegedly attacking the agent with household tools.
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The Department of Homeland Security identified the injured man as a Venezuelan national without legal immigration status and said his injuries were not life-threatening.
The Insurrection Act was last used in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush deployed troops to Los Angeles during riots that followed the acquittal of police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.
As tensions rise, senior White House officials have accused Minnesota leaders of encouraging unrest, while the administration has also blamed the media for inflaming the situation. Meanwhile, concerns continue to mount over ICE operations nationwide, including reports of inadequate oversight and a record number of deaths in immigration detention facilities in 2025.
With protests ongoing and political tensions escalating, the situation in Minnesota remains volatile as the nation watches to see whether the White House will take the unprecedented step of deploying troops on US soil once again.
