Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump warned Minnesota officials Thursday that he is prepared to deploy U.S. troops unless state and local leaders stop what he described as attacks by “professional agitators and insurrectionists” against federal immigration officers.
In a post on Truth Social, the president criticized Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, calling them “corrupt politicians,” and said he could invoke the Insurrection Act if they fail to halt violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” President Trump wrote.
The warning came after tensions flared again in Minneapolis following a shooting Wednesday night involving a federal officer. The Department of Homeland Security said officers were attempting to arrest an illegal migrant from Venezuela when the suspect fled in a vehicle, crashed into a parked car and ran.
DHS said the officer was then attacked by three people, including one armed with a shovel and another with a broom handle, before firing what the agency described as a defensive shot. The suspect was wounded in the leg and taken into custody, along with two other individuals. Officials said the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
President Trump has labeled the expanded ICE operations in Minnesota as a response to what he describes as a failure of local leadership, arguing that officials’ criticism of federal enforcement has emboldened activists to escalate protests into violence.
In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump pointed to the ongoing legal battle in federal court, saying a “highly respected judge” declined to immediately block the operations. He said ICE agents would continue removing “violent and vicious criminals” while protecting public safety.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez this week declined to issue an immediate halt to the federal operation sought by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She ordered the Justice Department to respond by Monday as she considers whether to grant a temporary restraining order.
