US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law that allows the deployment of military forces domestically, amid escalating protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota over immigration enforcement operations.
The warning came after federal agents were involved in two recent shootings in the city, including one that left a Venezuelan man wounded and another that killed a US citizen, sparking outrage and ongoing demonstrations.
The protests, which have persisted in the Democratic‑leaning city, are centred on aggressive tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a broad immigration crackdown. Demonstrators have accused federal officers of using excessive force and stoking instability.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump said he would invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota leaders did not “stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE,” whom he described as merely trying to do their job. The Insurrection Act allows a president to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act and use military forces to suppress “insurrection” or “domestic violence” when civil authorities are unable to maintain order.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and local officials have condemned the federal actions, with Walz accusing federal officers of waging “a campaign of organised brutality” and urging protesters to remain peaceful. He called on the federal government to de‑escalate and end what he described as an “occupation” of the state.
The city’s police chief said the most recent shooting occurred Wednesday night when an ICE agent struggled with a man during an arrest attempt, resulting in the agent discharging his weapon and wounding the suspect. Separate footage and accounts have added to the public outcry.
Demonstrations against ICE have stretched into the night, with clashes between protesters and federal agents that have included the use of pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds.
Senior White House officials have defended Trump’s remarks, while critics argue that invoking the Insurrection Act could further inflame tensions and raise serious constitutional and civil liberties concerns.
The Insurrection Act was most recently invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots and has been a subject of debate due to the breadth of presidential authority it grants.
AFP
