As of January 16, protests continued in Minneapolis, with city officials calling for de-escalation amid fears of broader confrontation.

President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning that he may invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act to deploy U.S. military forces in Minnesota, as days of intense protests against federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis show no signs of abating.

In a post on Truth Social late Thursday, Trump declared: "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, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State."

CBI News reports that the threat follows a surge in tensions sparked by two recent shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. On January 7, 2026, an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an enforcement action, igniting widespread demonstrations. A second incident on January 14 saw a federal agent shoot and wound a Venezuelan man in the leg during a struggle outside a residence, leading to renewed clashes with protesters using tear gas, flashbangs, and other crowd-control measures.

Protests have centred around the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building and other sites in north Minneapolis, with demonstrators decrying what they called aggressive and deadly tactics in the Trump administration's mass deportation and immigration crackdown. Thousands have marched in recent days, with some events drawing tens of thousands nationwide in solidarity. Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have urged calm, called for peaceful demonstrations, and criticised federal overreach, while filing legal challenges against the operations.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to deploy active-duty troops or federalise the National Guard domestically to suppress insurrections, rebellions, or when local authorities cannot maintain order—without needing state approval in certain cases.

Trump has referenced the law multiple times in the past, including during 2020 unrest following George Floyd's death in Minneapolis, but has not invoked it. White House officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, described the latest warning as a "tool at the president's disposal" and a signal to Democrats.

Minnesota leaders have pushed back strongly. Gov. Walz has encouraged residents to document federal actions for potential accountability, while critics warn that military deployment over protests absent a formal state request could be seen as an overreach and risk escalating the situation further.

The developments highlight deepening divides over immigration enforcement, with the administration framing protesters as threats to federal agents and opponents viewing the operations as heavy-handed.