Trump Threatens Insurrection Act Deployment Amid Immigration Protests in Minnesota

Washington D.C. | Jan 15 — GeokHub U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota, following days of tense protests over a surge of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The confrontations escalated after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good eight days ago, prompting protests that have spread to other cities. Trump’s warning came shortly after another incident in which a federal officer shot a Venezuelan man, identified as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who authorities said was fleeing from agents. The man sustained a leg injury.

Trump’s Warning and Federal Response

Trump posted on social media, stating:
“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.”

Since the federal surge began, nearly 3,000 officers have been deployed in Minneapolis, wearing military-style camouflage and masks. Residents have staged loud protests, using whistles and drums, while some clashes escalated into property damage and confrontations with officers.

Incidents and Allegations

Among the reported incidents:

• Aliya Rahman, a U.S. citizen, was forcibly removed from her car by masked ICE officers. She described being bound and denied medical attention despite being disabled.
• Federal officers arrested multiple individuals, including protesters and immigrants, and faced criticism over aggressive tactics.

The DHS stated that Sosa-Celis attempted to flee an enforcement stop, crashed his car, and struggled with officers before being shot in self-defense. Two other men reportedly assaulted officers during the incident, and all three were arrested.

Political and Public Reactions

The use of the Insurrection Act, which allows the president to deploy federal troops or federalize the National Guard in states to quell rebellion, is rare. Historically, it has been invoked only 30 times in U.S. history. Trump has previously federalized National Guard units in other cities, including Los Angeles, which a judge later ruled unconstitutional.

Trump’s approach has split public opinion among his supporters. A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 59% of Republicans supported prioritizing immigration arrests even if it risked civilian harm, while 39% favored minimizing harm even at the cost of fewer arrests.