President Trump has threatened to deploy federal troops in Minneapolis, sparking fears of a repeat of the violent confrontations that have marred the city's protests since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good.
The president's warning came after another federal immigration agent was involved in a shooting, this time wounding a man who had allegedly attacked with a shovel and broom handle. The incident has further inflamed tensions in Minneapolis, where demonstrators have been gathering since the January 7 fatal shooting of Good.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump directed his threat at Minnesota officials, accusing them of failing to control what he called "professional agitators and insurrectionists." He warned that if state authorities fail to take action, he would invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law that allows presidents to deploy the US military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement.
The Insurrection Act has been invoked by several presidents in the past, including George H.W. Bush in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots. However, its use is typically met with resistance from state governors and civil liberties groups.
Minnesota officials have responded to Trump's threat by characterizing the federal presence as an "invasion" that is overwhelming their city. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as "unprecedented," saying it has overwhelmed his city and scared and angered residents.
The state's governor, Tim Walz, has also sharply criticized the federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, calling it a "campaign of organized brutality" that has pushed the state into chaos. He warned that further escalation would only deepen the crisis.
As tensions escalate, protests continue to erupt on Minneapolis streets, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement using tear gas and other tactics. The situation remains volatile, with fears of another violent confrontation rising by the hour.
The president's warning came after another federal immigration agent was involved in a shooting, this time wounding a man who had allegedly attacked with a shovel and broom handle. The incident has further inflamed tensions in Minneapolis, where demonstrators have been gathering since the January 7 fatal shooting of Good.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump directed his threat at Minnesota officials, accusing them of failing to control what he called "professional agitators and insurrectionists." He warned that if state authorities fail to take action, he would invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely used federal law that allows presidents to deploy the US military or federalize the National Guard for domestic law enforcement.
The Insurrection Act has been invoked by several presidents in the past, including George H.W. Bush in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots. However, its use is typically met with resistance from state governors and civil liberties groups.
Minnesota officials have responded to Trump's threat by characterizing the federal presence as an "invasion" that is overwhelming their city. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as "unprecedented," saying it has overwhelmed his city and scared and angered residents.
The state's governor, Tim Walz, has also sharply criticized the federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, calling it a "campaign of organized brutality" that has pushed the state into chaos. He warned that further escalation would only deepen the crisis.
As tensions escalate, protests continue to erupt on Minneapolis streets, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement using tear gas and other tactics. The situation remains volatile, with fears of another violent confrontation rising by the hour.
. Can't we just have a calm conversation without all the drama? 
I mean, come on Trump threatening to deploy federal troops in Minneapolis? That's just gonna escalate things and put more lives at risk 
. And what's up with all the hate speech and misinformation spreading like wildfire on here 
. Nobody wants to talk about the real issues – systemic racism, economic inequality, etc. – nope, we're stuck debating whether Trump is a genius or a madman 
. Meanwhile, people are literally losing their lives in Minneapolis 
. It's just not productive and it's making me sick 
. Can't we all just try to be civil for once? 
...i feel bad for the mayor and governor of minnesota they're trying to keep their city safe, but trump's words are making things worse...i wish someone could calm him down and have a talk with him about what's really going on in that city 
. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's crazy that Renee Good got killed and all, but do we really need the military patrolling our streets? 
. And now Trump's trying to label them as insurrectionists? That's just gaslighting at its finest 
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. But we gotta think about what we're doing here... deploying federal troops is just gonna make things worse 
. It's like we're not even trying to listen to each other anymore 
.
It's like they're piling on more fuel to the fire 
and now we've got people scared and angry 
. Minnesota officials are right to say it feels like an invasion - I mean, who wants the military showing up in their city? 
And what's with this Insurrection Act business? It sounds super ominous 
. Trump's tweet came across as really aggressive too... did he not consider how his words would be perceived? 
I'm all for keeping order, but you can't just throw around threats like that and expect everyone to chill 
. What do you guys think - is the US military or federal law enforcement the answer here? 
But at the same time, like we can't just sit back and do nothing when there's actual violence going on. Ugh, my brain is literally all over the place about this... 
. I mean, we've seen some pretty aggressive protesters in Minneapolis lately, and it's not surprising that he'd want to step in. The fact that a federal immigration agent was shot at is a big deal 
Plus, if anything happens and it turns out that federal troops were needed, can we really say that was a bad thing? 
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Not deploying federal troops or invoking some obscure law that might just make things worse. 
We need to think outside the box here! 
they have a right to be angry about what happened with Renee Good and now they're just gonna get more violent? no way, we need to calm this down ASAP. the governor is right, it's like they're trying to create chaos on purpose 
this isnt what america is supposed to be about anymore it feels like trump is just trying to stir up more drama and create division among people whats next? us deploying the military on american soil over ice officers or whatever they are 
And what's with the Insurrection Act, anyway? It sounds like a big ol' stick to use on people who are already being trampled 
...
. Fast forward to today, it seems like we're seeing a lot more of the same old issues, but with modern technology amplifying everything. Social media is just making it worse, spreading misinformation and fueling the fire