MINNEAPOLIS, United States – Escalating tensions between federal authorities and Minnesota protesters have prompted President Donald Trump to threaten deployment of military forces under the 19th-century Insurrection Act. The unprecedented warning follows two separate incidents where federal immigration agents discharged their weapons in Minneapolis, resulting in one fatality and one injury this week.
The political confrontation intensified Thursday as Trump utilized his social media platform to accuse Minnesota’s Democratic leadership of permitting ‘professional agitators and insurrectionists’ to target Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel. The President explicitly warned that failure to restore order would trigger implementation of the rarely used statute, last invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz countered with vehement criticism, describing federal operations as ‘a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota.’ In a video address Wednesday night, Walz detailed numerous violent incidents including broken windows, dragged pregnant women, and the January 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Good. The governor urged peaceful protests while demanding the immediate cessation of what he termed federal ‘occupation.’
The crisis deepened Wednesday evening when an ICE agent shot and injured a Venezuelan immigrant during an apprehension attempt. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, the shooting occurred during a physical struggle, with two additional individuals subsequently attacking the federal agent with household implements. All three individuals are now in custody, with the shooting victim hospitalized for non-life-threatening leg injuries.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declined to speculate on Trump’s potential invocation of the Insurrection Act when questioned outside the White House Thursday, stating merely that ‘It’s his constitutional right’ to utilize such measures.
The controversy extends beyond street-level confrontations. Newly released data reveals ICE recorded 30 detention fatalities in 2025, setting a tragic agency record. A Washington Post investigation indicates the forthcoming homicide declaration regarding 55-year-old Cuban immigrant Lunas Campos, whose preliminary cause of death was identified as asphyxia due to neck and chest compression.
White House officials remained defiant amid mounting criticism. Senior adviser Stephen Miller accused Minnesota authorities of deliberately inciting ‘violent insurrection,’ while press secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted media complicity in the escalating violence. The administration continues to pursue its aggressive immigration agenda despite numerous court challenges and mass protests organized under the anti-authoritarian mantra ‘No Kings.’