President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act 2026 to deploy active-duty military troops to Minneapolis, marking a dramatic escalation in the standoff between the White House and Minnesota state officials. The ultimatum, delivered Thursday via Truth Social, comes as the Twin Cities face a second week of civil unrest following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by federal immigration agents.
Trump Issues Military Ultimatum to Minnesota
In a blistering statement posted to social media on Thursday morning, President Trump warned he would bypass Governor Tim Walz to quell the demonstrations that have gripped Minneapolis since early January. Calling the protesters "professional agitators and insurrectionists," the President declared he is prepared to use the 1807 Insurrection Act to "quickly put an end to the travesty" unfolding in the state.
The threat follows a week of intensifying clashes between demonstrators and federal officers deployed as part of the administration's aggressive federal immigration crackdown, dubbed "Operation Metro Surge." Tensions reached a boiling point late Wednesday after a second shooting incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, where a man was shot and wounded during a chaotic altercation in North Minneapolis.
"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law... I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT," Trump wrote, signaling his willingness to deploy federal troops to domestic soil—a move that hasn't been executed since the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Renee Good Shooting Ignites Civil Unrest
The catalyst for the current Minneapolis civil unrest was the January 7 death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and legal observer who was fatally shot by an ICE agent. While the Department of Homeland Security maintains the agent acted in self-defense against a vehicle, video evidence and eyewitness accounts have sharply contradicted that narrative, fueling public outrage.
Good's death has become a flashpoint for the Minneapolis protests update, drawing thousands to the streets to demand accountability. The situation deteriorated further on Wednesday, January 14, when federal agents shot a man during a traffic stop. DHS officials claimed the man attacked agents with a shovel, but local community leaders argue the heavy-handed federal presence is deliberately provoking violence in residential neighborhoods.
State vs. Federal Showdown
Minnesota officials have pushed back forcefully against the President's Trump military threat. Governor Tim Walz urged residents to remain peaceful but slammed the administration's tactics as a "campaign of retribution" against a political adversary. Mayor Jacob Frey has echoed these sentiments, accusing the influx of federal agents of destabilizing the city rather than enforcing the law.
Legal experts suggest that invoking the Insurrection Act against the wishes of a state governor would trigger an immediate constitutional crisis. Under the law, the President can unilaterally deploy troops if he determines that unlawful obstructions make it impracticable to enforce federal law, a threshold the White House argues has been met by the alleged hostility toward ICE agents.
Impact of Operation Metro Surge
The unrest in Minneapolis is occurring against the backdrop of a massive surge in federal law enforcement activity. The administration has deployed thousands of agents to the Twin Cities area to execute what it calls a necessary enforcement of immigration laws. However, the aggressive tactics used in this federal immigration crackdown—including the use of unmarked vehicles and tactical teams in residential areas—have drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups.
As of Friday morning, the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building remains heavily fortified, with protesters gathering daily. The ACLU of Minnesota has already filed a class-action lawsuit alleging racial profiling and unconstitutional detentions during the surge. With the President's deadline for order looming, Minneapolis remains on edge, waiting to see if federal troops will indeed patrol American streets this weekend.
