Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act as Minneapolis protests intensify over ICE crackdown

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota, as protests intensified in Minneapolis following a surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the city. Tensions escalated after an ICE agent fatally shot U.S. citizen Renee Good eight days ago, sparking large demonstrations that later spread to other cities. Trump warned that if Minnesota leaders failed to “stop” what he called agitators and insurrectionists targeting ICE officers, he would move to implement the Act.

The situation worsened after an immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was wounded in the leg during an attempted vehicle stop. DHS claimed he fled, crashed his vehicle, and later fought with officers, with two other men allegedly attacking an officer using a snow shovel and broom handle before all three were arrested. On Wednesday night, crowds gathered near the shooting scene, where federal officers used flash-bang grenades and tear gas to disperse protesters, and later a small group vandalized a car believed to belong to federal officers.

Minnesota leaders and the Trump administration blamed each other for fueling unrest, as allegations of harsh enforcement tactics drew renewed criticism. U.S. citizen Aliya Rahman told Reuters she was dragged from her vehicle and detained despite informing officers she was disabled, while DHS described her as an “agitator” obstructing enforcement action. The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to deploy the military to quell rebellion and has been used 30 times in U.S. history, though Trump’s talk of using it has divided even his supporters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released Thursday.

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