US President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 15, warned that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if authorities in Minnesota fail to stop attacks on federal immigration agents. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused state leaders of allowing violence against federal officers and said he was prepared to take strong action.
“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.
Protests follow death and immigration raids
Tensions have risen in Minnesota following protests over the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good last week. Demonstrators have also condemned intensified immigration enforcement operations in the region. The Trump administration has recently increased arrests and deployed thousands of agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
On Wednesday, a Venezuelan man was shot and injured by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, authorities said. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the officer shot the man in the leg after he attempted to escape. The incident was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
What is the insurrection act?
The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, gives the US president the authority to deploy the military inside the country for civilian law enforcement under specific emergency conditions. Normally, federal troops are barred from carrying out civilian policing duties. However, the Insurrection Act allows soldiers to make arrests, conduct searches, and restore order when state authorities are unable or unwilling to act.
As per The Guardian, the law is a major exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally restricts the use of federal armed forces in domestic law enforcement. Any decision to invoke the Insurrection Act would likely face legal challenge. The act grants broad powers, its use is closely scrutinised due to concerns over civil liberties and federal overreach.
Trump’s threats in the past
Trump has previously threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act on two occasions. During his first term in 2020, he considered using it amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd. He again raised the possibility in 2025 during ICE-related protests in Los Angeles.
In both instances, he ultimately did not proceed. Historically, fifteen US presidents have invoked the Insurrection Act. It was widely used during the civil rights era when state governments refused to enforce Supreme Court desegregation rulings. The law was also used in 1992 to quell riots following the Rodney King verdict, at the request of then California Governor Pete Wilson.