President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he may invoke the Insurrection Act — a rarely used federal statute that allows the deployment of U.S. military forces on American soil — if Minnesota officials fail to bring escalating anti-ICE unrest in Minneapolis under control.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump warned that continued attacks, intimidation, and interference with federal immigration officers in Minnesota would not be tolerated.
“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 and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump wrote.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump threatens to INVOKE THE INSURRECTION ACT in Minnesota after federal vehicles ransacked, weapons and documents STOLEN
DO IT, 47!
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from… pic.twitter.com/2f2799AHXQ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 15, 2026
Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act underscores the administration’s position that local and state leaders have failed to protect federal agents and maintain public order. The Insurrection Act gives an American president the authority to deploy military forces on US soil to crush civil disobedience. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to use the Insurrection Act to deal with a plot to create a separate nation in the American West, in 1807. The Insurrection Act was last used by President George H.W. Bush during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, in 1992.
“Many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” President Trump added on Truth Social.
President Trump has repeatedly described ICE officers as being under siege while carrying out lawful duties and accused state and city officials of enabling disorder by publicly opposing federal enforcement efforts.
The warning comes amid days of escalating chaos in Minneapolis following multiple violent confrontations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out federal enforcement operations in the city. The unrest has centered around ICE activity tied to a broader federal immigration surge aimed at locating and arresting illegal immigrants with criminal histories.
Tensions spiked sharply Wednesday night when an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan national in the leg during an enforcement action in north Minneapolis. According to Department of Homeland Security officials, the individual allegedly attacked the officer with a shovel and a broom handle, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense. Authorities confirmed the officer was not seriously injured.
DHS said that two people attacked an ICE agent with a broomstick and snow shovel while the officer waws attempting to detain the Venezuelan criminal illegal immigrant.
That incident followed another high-profile shooting earlier this month involving ICE Agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good during a separate enforcement encounter. Federal officials have stated that the shooting remains under investigation but maintain the agent acted in the line of duty while facing an active threat.
Since those incidents, Minneapolis has seen increasingly aggressive demonstrations, with protesters swarming federal vehicles, attempting to block arrests, and directing explicit threats toward ICE agents. Law enforcement sources confirmed that officers have been told by demonstrators that they would be killed if they continued operations in certain neighborhoods.
INSURRECTION ACT: Trump must invoke the Insurrection Act now. Multiple ICE and FBI vehicles were destroyed and looted by rioters in Minneapolis after federal agents were forced to abandon them. pic.twitter.com/q2t3yr4D8Z
— @amuse (@amuse) January 15, 2026
Federal authorities say nearly 3,000 ICE and US Customs and Border Protection personnel have been deployed to the Minneapolis region as part of the ongoing operation. Officials insist the surge is necessary to restore order and enforce immigration law in an area that has seen repeated interference with federal officers.
Crowd control measures, including the use of tear gas, have been employed as protests spilled into multiple neighborhoods and continued late into the night. Federal officials have emphasized that the response has been measured and aimed at protecting officers and nearby residents amid growing volatility. To date, neither the Minneapolis Police Department nor the Minnesota State Police have provided crowd control or escorted ICE agents in the city to fulfill their duty of capturing and arresting criminal illegal immigrants.
According to the DHS, more than 2,000 arrests have been made in Minnesota since early December as part of the expanded immigration crackdown. Officials say those taken into custody include individuals with prior criminal records, outstanding removal orders, and suspected gang affiliations.
Despite calls from Minneapolis city leaders to scale back or withdraw federal agents, President Trump and Department of Homeland Security officials have stated unequivocally that operations will continue. They argue that retreating would embolden further lawlessness and place officers at even greater risk.
While Minnesota political leaders have criticized the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the White House has made clear that continued violence against ICE agents could trigger direct federal intervention — including the deployment of military forces — if order is not restored.
As protests continue and tensions remain high, the Trump warning signals a hard federal line: immigration enforcement will proceed, and attacks on federal officers will be met with overwhelming force if necessary.
