President Donald Trump warned Thursday that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota’s Democratic leadership fails to halt escalating violence against federal law-enforcement officers amid ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Minnesota officials of refusing to uphold the law as organized agitators and radical activists targeted ICE personnel carrying out what the administration says is the largest enforcement operation in Department of Homeland Security history. Trump said invoking the Insurrection Act would “quickly put an end to the travesty” unfolding in Minnesota if local leaders continue to allow lawlessness to spread.
The Insurrection Act, a long-standing federal statute dating back to the 19th century, grants the president authority to deploy the military domestically in extreme circumstances when state and local governments are unable or unwilling to restore order. While rarely used, it has been invoked by presidents of both parties during periods of violent unrest, including by President George H. W. Bush during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Tensions in Minnesota have surged following the deployment of thousands of federal agents after a sweeping welfare-fraud investigation tied to organized criminal networks. The situation deteriorated further after an ICE officer fatally shot anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good, 37, last week after she allegedly struck the agent with her vehicle, an act the Department of Homeland Security described as life-threatening.
Violence continued this week when an ICE officer was ambushed during the arrest of a criminal illegal alien in Minneapolis. According to DHS, the suspect resisted arrest and violently assaulted the officer, while two additional individuals attacked the agent with a shovel and broom handle. Fearing for his life, the officer fired defensive shots, striking the suspect in the leg. All three suspects fled into an apartment and barricaded themselves inside. Both the officer and the suspect were hospitalized.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration has no plans to pull ICE personnel out of Minnesota and confirmed she discussed the Insurrection Act with President Trump. She emphasized that federal agents are conducting lawful, targeted enforcement operations and warned that conditions on the ground in Minneapolis have become increasingly violent.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, has faced sharp criticism for encouraging continued protests and urging residents to film federal agents for possible future prosecutions. Conservatives argue such rhetoric has emboldened mobs, led to damaged ICE vehicles, and directly endangered officers attempting to enforce federal law.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Insurrection Act remains a legitimate option if state leaders persist in allowing violence against federal officers. She accused Democratic officials nationwide of using their platforms to justify obstruction of lawful immigration enforcement and to excuse attacks on law enforcement.
Supporters of the administration note that the Insurrection Act has been invoked roughly 30 times by 17 presidents, always in response to violent uprisings or widespread disorder. Trump allies argue Minnesota now meets that threshold, pointing to repeated assaults on ICE officers and coordinated resistance to federal authority.
With unrest continuing and local officials refusing to cooperate, President Trump signaled that restoring law and order remains a top priority. “All they have to do is enforce the law and tell the radicals to stand down,” one senior administration official said. “If they won’t, the federal government will.”
