Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to end protests in
Minneapolis
[January 16, 2026]
By STEVE KARNOWSKI, HALLIE GOLDEN and AAMER MADHANI
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to
invoke an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests
against the federal officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his
administration's massive immigration crackdown.
The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an
immigration officer who had been attacked with a shovel and broom
handle. That shooting further heightened the fear and anger that has
radiated across the city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely
used federal law, to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National
Guard for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state
governors. In 2020, for example, he threatened to use the act to quell
protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, and in
recent months he threatened to use it for immigration protests.
“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,” Trump said in social media post.
Presidents have invoked the law more than two dozen times, most recently
in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush to end unrest in Los Angeles. In
that instance, local authorities asked for the assistance.
“I’m making a direct appeal to the President: Let’s turn the temperature
down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Gov.
Tim Walz, a Democrat, said on X.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would challenge any
such action in court. He's already suing to try to stop the surge by the
Department of Homeland Security, which says officers have arrested more
than 2,500 people since Nov. 29 as part of an immigration operation in
the Twin Cities called Metro Surge.
The operation grew when ICE, which is a DHS agency, sent 2,000 officers
and agents to the area in early January.
Protests, tear gas and another shooting
Protesters gathered Thursday night at the federal building that is being
used as a base for the crackdown, yelling “shame on you” at the officers
guarding the facility.
Demonstrations have become common since Good was fatally shot Jan. 7,
but this night's protest was slightly more subdued a day after the
governor and mayor implored protesters to remain peaceful.
“This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in
and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people
safe,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a class-action
lawsuit on behalf of three people who said they were questioned or
detained in recent days. The lawsuit says two are Somali and one is
Hispanic; all three are U.S. citizens. The lawsuit seeks an end to what
the ACLU describes as a practice of racial profiling and warrantless
arrests. The government did not immediately comment.
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A woman covers her face from tear gas as federal immigration
officers confront protesters outside Bishop Henry Whipple Federal
Building, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam
Gray)
Similar lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles and Chicago and
despite seeing initial success, have tended to fizzle in the face of
appeal. In Chicago, for example, last year a judge ordered a senior
U.S. Border Patrol official to brief her nightly following a lawsuit
by news outlets and protesters who said agents used too much force
during demonstrations. But three days later, an appeals court
stopped the updates.
Shooting followed a chase
Homeland Security said in a statement that federal law enforcement
officers on Wednesday stopped a driver from Venezuela who is in the
U.S. illegally. The person drove off then crashed into a parked car
before fleeing on foot, DHS said.
Officers caught up, then two other people arrived and the three
started attacking the officer, according to DHS.
“Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three
individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,”
DHS said. The confrontation took place about 4.5 miles (7.2
kilometers) from where Good was killed.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the man who was shot did not have a
life-threatening injury. O’Hara's account of what happened largely
echoed that of Homeland Security, which later said the other two men
were also in the U.S. illegally from Venezuela.
The FBI said several government vehicles were damaged and property
inside was stolen when agents responded to the shooting. Photos show
broken windows and insults made with paint. A reward of up to
$100,000 is being offered for information. The FBI’s Minneapolis
office did not immediately reply to messages seeking more details.
Classroom changes announced
St. Paul Public Schools, with more than 30,000 students, said it
would begin offering an online learning option for students who do
not feel comfortable coming to school. Schools will be closed next
week until Thursday to prepare for those accommodations.
Minneapolis Public Schools, which has a similar enrollment, is also
offering temporary remote learning. The University of Minnesota will
start a new term next week with different options depending on the
class.
___
Madhani reported from Washington, and Golden from Seattle.
Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago, Bill Barrow in
Atlanta, Rebecca Santana in Washington and Ed White in Detroit
contributed.
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