President Donald Trump warned Thursday that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota leaders fail to enforce the law and attacks on federal immigration agents continue.
“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 on Truth Social.
Trump’s warning comes after a second ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis in recent days.
On Wednesday, an ICE agent shot an alleged illegal immigrant in the leg during an attempted arrest. The Department of Homeland Security said the agent fired because he feared “for his life and safety” after the suspect resisted arrest and “violently assaulted the officer.” The suspect was reported to be in stable condition and is now in custody. The ICE agent was reportedly hospitalized.
The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, has not been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The law allows a president to deploy the military to suppress rebellions and enforce federal laws. If invoked, it would give Trump the authority to federalize the National Guard and deploy active-duty forces to restore order.
It would also temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally restricts the use of the military in domestic law enforcement.
The latest incident follows a deadly confrontation last week in Minneapolis. Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE agent after authorities alleged she tried to ram her vehicle into federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation.
Protests continued in Minnesota on Wednesday following the most recent shooting. Demonstrators reportedly used horns and whistles, while officers responded with tear gas and pepper balls.
