In Minnesota, Trump has threatened to use the Insurrection Act.

Chief Reporter January 16, 2026 2 minutes read

As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns erupted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would use the “Insurrection Act.” The Insurrection Act lets the president send the military into the country when it is activated, just like South Korea’s martial law.

CNN and other local news outlets reported on the 15th that President Trump wrote on Truth Social, “If corrupt politicians in Minnesota don’t uphold the law and stop professional agitators and insurrection forces from attacking patriotic ICE officers who are just doing their jobs, I will invoke the Insurrection Act—used by many past presidents—to quickly end the disgrace happening in that once-great state.” The Democratic Party is in charge of both the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of Minneapolis.

The U.S. Insurrection Act gives the president the power to call in the military during riots or rebellions that happen on U.S. soil. If the president wants to, he or she can federalize state defense forces at the request of the state government or send in federal troops. The president can do this without the state’s permission if the state government is thought to be very chaotic or unable to follow standard legal procedures. The last time the invocation was used was in 1992 during the LA riots, when President George H.W. Bush sent federal soldiers to California at the request of the state’s governor.

Protests in Minneapolis grew stronger after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a white woman, on the 7th. An immigration enforcement officer shot at a Venezuelan man the day before while arresting him on suspicion of living in the U.S. illegally in northern Minneapolis. It was said that the individual who was shot was in stable condition.