National Lockdown Threat: Trump Vows to Deploy Troops Under Insurrection Act as Minnesota Protests Escalate

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that he could invoke an emergency law permitting the deployment of the military within the country, following fatal and violent encounters involving federal immigration agents in Minnesota that have triggered widespread protests.

The threat came amid mounting demonstrations in the Midwestern state, a Democratic stronghold, where residents have condemned what they describe as heavy-handed tactics employed during large-scale immigration enforcement operations.

Federal agents discharged their weapons in two separate incidents, injuring a Venezuelan national on Wednesday and killing an American woman last week, further inflaming public anger and unrest.

Trump cited the Insurrection Act, a 19th-century law that allows a president to override the Posse Comitatus Act and deploy the armed forces to quell what is deemed “armed rebellion” or “domestic violence.”

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota refuse to enforce the law and fail to stop professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking ICE officers who are simply doing their jobs, I will invoke the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, strongly criticised federal authorities, accusing them of carrying out what he described as “a campaign of organised brutality” against residents of the state. In a video posted on X late Wednesday, Walz highlighted several alleged incidents, including broken windows, assaults on civilians and the killing of 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7.

“We must raise our voices—loudly and urgently—but we must also remain peaceful,” Walz said, urging Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to “end this occupation.” He also encouraged residents to document any encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers for potential legal action.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Noem said the decision to invoke the Insurrection Act rested solely with the president.

Protests against ICE operations in Minneapolis have continued late into the night in recent days, with demonstrators clashing with federal agents who have used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooting on Wednesday night occurred during a struggle between an ICE officer and a suspect. According to him, the agent fired his weapon during the altercation, hitting the suspect in the leg.

The Department of Homeland Security added that two individuals emerged from a nearby home during the incident and attacked the agent with a snow shovel and a broom handle. The injured suspect, identified as a Venezuelan national in the country illegally, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was hospitalised. The two alleged attackers were taken into custody.

The Insurrection Act was last used in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush authorised the deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles at the request of California’s governor, following riots sparked by the acquittal of police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.

Meanwhile, senior White House aide Stephen Miller accused Minnesota officials of deliberately fuelling what he called a “violent insurrection,” while White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt blamed the media, claiming journalists were “complicit” in the unrest.

Concerns over ICE tactics have extended beyond street confrontations, raising broader questions about training, accountability and oversight within the agency.

Mexican authorities confirmed on Thursday that they were seeking information about the death of one of their citizens at an ICE detention facility in Georgia earlier this week.

Data released by ICE show that the agency recorded 30 deaths in detention in 2025—the highest number on record—amid a steady rise in the number of people being held in immigration custody.