President Donald Trump said he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota’s Democratic leadership fails to curb violent attacks on federal immigration officers amid days of unrest in Minneapolis.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump warned Thursday that he will invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota officials do not take action to halt violent protests targeting federal immigration authorities, escalating his response to days of unrest centered in Minneapolis.
In a post published Thursday morning on Truth Social, Trump said he would act unilaterally if what he described as “corrupt politicians” in Minnesota fail to stop agitators and insurrectionists attacking Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during enforcement operations. The statement followed multiple days of disturbances in Minneapolis that included mobs surrounding officers, looting federal vehicles, and obstructing ICE activity.
“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. “Thank you for [your] attention to this matter!”
The warning came after a deadly shooting in Minneapolis in which a protester allegedly attempted to run over an ICE agent, prompting the agent to fire defensive shots. That incident intensified demonstrations and contributed to sustained unrest, while Democratic officials sharply increased their public opposition to federal immigration enforcement in the state.
Under the Insurrection Act of 1807, the president is authorized to deploy the National Guard or U.S. military to suppress “unlawful obstruction or rebellion” that prevents enforcement of federal law. The statute was last invoked in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots and was also used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957 to enforce school desegregation orders in the South.
Trump has previously considered using the statute. Officials from his first administration have said he was weighing the authority in 2019 as part of broader efforts to remove individuals in the country illegally.
Video footage circulating online caught crowds in Minnesota destroying an ICE vehicle, while additional footage shows rioters looting federal vehicles and removing equipment and other items.
Minnesota’s Democratic leadership has moved to block federal enforcement actions. State officials, joined by leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul, have sued to prevent ICE operations within the state. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have publicly demanded that ICE agents leave Minnesota, even as federal authorities report continued interference with their operations.
Trump’s statement marks his strongest warning yet that federal authority could be used to override state and local resistance if violence against federal officers continues.
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