President Donald Trump said Thursday he may invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in response to ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
The statement followed a shooting Wednesday in which a federal officer shot a man in the leg after being attacked with a shovel and a broom handle, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the city following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent on Jan. 7.
In a social media post, Trump accused Minnesota officials of failing to control unrest and said he would act if protests continued. He described demonstrators as “professional agitators and insurrectionists” and said federal officers were carrying out their duties under difficult conditions.
The Insurrection Act is a rarely used federal law that allows a president to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, typically over the objections of state authorities.
Trump has previously raised the possibility of using the act during periods of civil unrest.
Protests intensified Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting, where federal officers in riot gear deployed tear gas while demonstrators threw rocks and fireworks.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gathering had been declared an unlawful assembly and ordered people to leave the area. By early Thursday, the scene had largely calmed.
Demonstrations have become frequent in Minneapolis since Good was killed during a federal immigration operation.
The Trump administration has sent thousands of federal officers into the Twin Cities as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
Local officials say agents have carried out arrests in public spaces and residential areas, drawing confrontations with residents and protesters.
The Department of Homeland Security said more than 2,000 arrests have been made in Minnesota since early December and said federal authorities would continue enforcement operations.
In a statement detailing Wednesday’s shooting, DHS said officers stopped a Venezuelan national who was in the country illegally.
The individual fled by vehicle, crashed into a parked car, and ran on foot. Two additional people then emerged from a nearby apartment and, along with the suspect, attacked the officer, DHS said.
The officer fired a single defensive shot, striking one man, who was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury. Two other individuals were taken into custody.
O’Hara said his account of the incident largely aligned with the federal description.
Legal challenges to the federal response are also underway. On Wednesday, a federal judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request from Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to suspend the immigration crackdown. Local governments argue the federal actions violate constitutional rights, including free speech.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ordered the Justice Department to respond by Monday to a request for a temporary restraining order. The judge is also considering a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by federal officers during encounters with protesters and observers.
During a televised address earlier Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz said the situation in Minnesota had escalated beyond immigration enforcement and described the state as being in chaos.
The Pentagon is also considering expanding its legal support for federal operations in Minneapolis. Media reports indicate the Defense Department has asked military branches to identify dozens of judge advocate general officers to serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys. A Pentagon spokesperson publicly stated that the military supports the Justice Department’s efforts.
