Former US President Donald Trump has warned that he may use the Insurrection Act to stop protests linked to immigration raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Trump said he could send in US troops after protests and damage to property followed a shooting involving a federal immigration officer. The protests are against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws.
The warning came after a night of unrest in Minneapolis, where federal vehicles were damaged and clashes broke out between protesters and police.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the shooting happened after a federal agent was attacked. According to DHS, the agent was chased by a car driven by a Venezuelan man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. After the chase, Sosa-Celis got out of his car and got into a fight with the officer.
DHS said two other Venezuelan nationals, Alfredo Alejandro Ajorna and Gabriel Alejandro Hernandez-Ledezma, joined the attack. They allegedly used a snow shovel and a broom handle to hit the officer. The agent then fired his weapon, shooting Sosa-Celis in the leg.
Both the officer and Sosa-Celis were taken to hospital. Officials said their injuries were not life-threatening. All three men were arrested.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer had been “ambushed and attacked” and described the incident as an attempted murder of a federal officer. She said the agent fired the gun in self-defence.
The shooting added to already high tensions in Minneapolis. Protests have been happening since an earlier incident last week in which an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman. That shooting led to protests not just in Minnesota, but across the country.
The Insurrection Act is a law from the early 1800s. It allows the US president to deploy active-duty military troops inside the country to help enforce the law. It is rarely used. Trump has talked about using it before but has never actually done so.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would use the law if state and city leaders in Minnesota failed to stop what he called “professional agitators and insurrectionists.”
On Wednesday night, protests near the Hawthorne area of Minneapolis turned violent. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers were hit with fireworks, ice, and snowballs. Several federal government vehicles were damaged, and items were stolen from inside them.
The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to the recovery of stolen government property or the arrest of those responsible for damaging it.
In recent weeks, about 3,000 federal officers have been sent to Minnesota as part of a federal effort known as “Operation Metro Surge.” Trump has said the operation will continue. A federal judge recently rejected a request from Minnesota prosecutors to temporarily block ICE operations in the state.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has demanded that ICE leave the city. He said on social media that regardless of what caused the violence, the current situation is not sustainable.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also called for calm. In a message to Trump, he said, “Let’s turn the temperature down.” He urged residents not to make the situation worse by spreading chaos. Walz has previously strongly criticised ICE, once calling it a “modern-day Gestapo.”
Walz, a Democrat, ran as vice-presidential candidate with Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Earlier this month, he announced he would not seek re-election as governor. His decision followed a major fraud scandal involving welfare programmes in the state.
The most serious protests stem from the shooting of Renee Nicole Good on 7 January. The Trump administration says the ICE agent involved acted in self-defence. Local officials disagree and say Good did not pose a threat.
Video footage shows ICE agents approaching Good’s car as it sits in the middle of the road. When she tries to drive away, an agent standing in front of the vehicle fires three shots. The FBI is now investigating the incident.
Public reaction has been divided. An online fundraiser for Good’s family has raised more than $1.4 million. Another fundraiser for the ICE agent involved, Jonathan Ross, has raised about $740,000.
The situation in Minneapolis remains tense as investigations continue and protests show no sign of slowing down.
Published: 16th January 2026
For more such articles, please follow us on Twitter, Linkedin & Instagram
Also Read:
The Hidden Traps of Success: Why Growing Businesses Get Stuck
January Growth: Smart Strategies to Keep Business Moving
Silver Hits a New High at $88 as Gold Prices Stay Steady
