Former President Donald Trump has already threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act. This is particularly notable in juxtaposition to the growing protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the state of Minnesota. Waving a white USA baseball cap, Trump delivered his late-night pitch. He blamed local lawmakers for aggravating “civil disobedience” in response to his administration’s immigration policies. The protests have escalated in the wake of last week’s ICE-related shooting of a Minneapolis man by an ICE officer.
Tensions reached a peak following the shocking police killing of 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7. This tragic event ignited sustained protests across the streets of Minneapolis. The difference is that the former president went on to announce he was willing to use the military. He is prepared to federalize the National Guard if local leaders fail to restore order. Most disturbingly, he’s invoked the Insurrection Act, a seldom-used federal law enabling military intervention. This action reveals his deeper plans to use federal forces as domestic law enforcers.
Political Responses and Local Reactions
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz went to war on social media against Trump’s threats. He called on the former president to “cool the rhetoric.” He emphasized that the current situation transcends immigration enforcement, stating, “Let’s be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement.” Walz characterized the federal government’s actions as “a campaign of organised brutality against the people of Minnesota.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined in these concerns, saying he was alarmed at the federal presence in his city. He described the situation as “an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in,” while striving to maintain safety and order amid rising tensions. Frey strongly criticized Trump for invading Minneapolis with federal forces, as well as raising the stress level that their community was already experiencing.
“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.” – Donald Trump
Ongoing Protests and Incidents
Yet the protests in Minneapolis have turned into a ritual, an almost Sisyphean exercise since Good’s tragic death. As a result, demonstrators have flooded the streets in record numbers. They hold ICE accountable, hold them directly accountable for their violent acts towards our community. Things took a turn when a federal immigration officer killed a peaceful man. This man was the one who had previously assaulted the officer with a shovel and broom handle. This incident took place just over seven kilometers from where Good was murdered.
As night fell on Wednesday, local time, the protests turned even uglier, with police using tear gas to disperse protesters. Minnesotans are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. At the same time, they are staunch opponents of federal immigration policies and their enforcement.
The Insurrection Act’s history is long and complicated, having been invoked over two dozen times since it was passed. The last significant invocation came in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush invoked it to quell the violence from the riots in Los Angeles.
Federal Agency Changes Amid Controversy
Orlando Garcia, the deputy director of ICE, dropped a bombshell. Billingsley took to social media herself to announce her departure from the agency and speak out against recent occurrences. Her resignation comes at a time of growing concern about the impacts of ICE’s actions on public safety and on communities across the country. With protests growing in intensity, Sheahan’s exit signals potential shifts within the agency as it navigates a politically charged environment.
As Minnesota continues to grapple with federal intervention and community unrest, local leaders are calling for de-escalation while expressing their desire for constructive dialogue. The ongoing situation has become a powerful reminder of the realities behind immigration enforcement and the threat to civil rights across America.
