Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to state officials in Minnesota, threatening to invoke a powerful federal law to quell protests targeting immigration enforcement personnel.
Social Media Ultimatum Follows Violent Clashes
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Thursday 15 January 2026, Trump labelled demonstrators as "professional agitators and insurrectionists". He accused them of attacking what he called "Patriots of I.C.E." – referring to officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The former president asserted that if state lawmakers did not intervene to stop the assaults, he would be prepared to institute the Insurrection Act to end what he described as a "travesty". Trump claimed the act, which allows a president to deploy military forces domestically, had been used by many of his predecessors.
Deadly Incident Sparks Tensions
Trump's incendiary post comes in the wake of recent, serious incidents in Minneapolis. Federal agents have been involved in at least two high-profile shootings during attempted arrests.
In one case, an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good. In a separate operation, another officer shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg. These events have fuelled significant local unrest and drawn national attention to the tactics of federal immigration enforcement.
The Power of the Insurrection Act
The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a controversial piece of legislation that grants the US president broad authority to deploy active-duty military troops within American cities. Its use is rare and typically reserved for instances of civil unrest that local authorities cannot control.
Trump's threat to invoke this act highlights the deepening political and social divisions surrounding immigration policy in the United States. It also raises profound questions about the role of federal power in policing domestic disputes.
The situation in Minnesota remains volatile, with the former president's comments likely to inflame passions on both sides of the debate. The response from Minnesota's state government and the current White House administration is now keenly awaited.
