US President Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the rarely used Insurrection Act to quell unrest over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
He threatened to send in troops following a night of protests and vandalism in the Minnesota city after an agent shot a man in the leg.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said an officer opened fire after he was attacked by three Venezuelan nationals with a shovel and broom handle.
Tensions have been running high in Minneapolis since an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, 37, last week, sparking nationwide protests.
The Insurrection Act is a 19th Century law that allows active-duty military personnel to be deployed for law enforcement duties inside the US.
Trump has previously expressed the possibility of invoking the 1807 law elsewhere without taking action.
On social media, he stated he would use the law if Minnesota officials failed to stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists.
The DHS report said Wednesday's shooting took place after a car chase involving Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who was previously convicted for driving without a license.
After exiting his vehicle, Sosa-Celis engaged with a federal agent, who was soon joined by two other Venezuelan nationals who emerged from a nearby apartment. The three attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broom handle, prompting the agent to shoot Sosa-Celis in the leg.
The agent and Sosa-Celis were both hospitalized, with Sosa-Celis' injuries deemed non-life-threatening. All three assailants were arrested.
What we saw last night in Minneapolis was an attempted murder of federal law enforcement, commented DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, stating the officer was ambushed and attacked.
Following the shooting, protests erupted in the Hawthorne area of Minneapolis, where demonstrators clashed with law enforcement, throwing fireworks, ice, and snowballs, leading to damage of federal vehicles and property theft.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has publicly demanded ICE leave the city, underlining the situation as not sustainable. In contrast, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called for reducing tensions, previously labeling ICE as a modern-day Gestapo.
Trump reaffirmed that Operation Metro Surge will proceed in Minnesota after a federal judge denied a request from state prosecutors to limit ICE's presence.
These incidents and ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement emphasize the divisive climate surrounding these issues in the community following recent shootings.
