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) stated that an officer opened fire after being 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, igniting nationwide protests.
The Insurrection Act, a 19th Century law, allows active-duty military personnel to be deployed for law enforcement duties in the US. Trump stated he would enforce it if state officials did not control the situation, referring to protesters as professional agitators and insurrectionists.
The recent violence began with a series of protests after the shooting of a Venezuelan national, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, who allegedly assaulted an ICE agent, leading to subsequent clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have expressed deep concerns over the federal response, emphasizing the unsustainable nature of the current situation in the city.
The unrest has raised serious questions about the tactics and policies of federal immigration enforcement, particularly in the wake of tragic incidents like the shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
