Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to quell protests in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy troops to quell ongoing protests against federal officers who were sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration’s massive immigration crackdown.

The president’s threat comes a day after a federal immigration officer shot and wounded a Minneapolis man after he attacked the officer with a shovel and broom. This shooting heightened the fear and anger that has spread throughout the Minnesota city since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot Rene Judd in the head.

Read more: What is the Insurrection Law? Here’s what Trump said about using it

Trump has repeatedly threatened to activate the rarely used federal law to deploy the US military or federalize the National Guard for local law enforcement, despite the objections of state governors.

“If the corrupt politicians in Minnesota do not abide by the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots at ICE, who are just trying to do their job, then I will pass the Insurrection Act, as many presidents before me have done, and quickly put an end to the farce taking place in this once great state,” Trump said in a social media post.

The Associated Press has reached out to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for comment.

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The Department of Homeland Security says it has arrested more than 2,000 people in the state since early December, and has vowed not to back down. ICE is a DHS agency.

Protests, tear gas and other shootings

In Minneapolis, smoke filled the streets Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting, as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd. Protesters responded by throwing stones and setting off fireworks.

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said during a news conference that the gathering was an unlawful assembly and “people need to leave.”

He watches: Minnesota AG says ‘devastating’ immigration raids erode trust in government

Things later calmed down, and by early Thursday, only a few protesters and law enforcement officers remained at the scene.

Demonstrations have become common on the streets of Minneapolis since an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Judd on January 7. Agents grabbed people from their cars and homes and confronted angry bystanders who demanded that officers pack up and leave.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as unsustainable.

He added: “This is an impossible situation that our city is currently in, and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe, protect our neighbors, and maintain order.”

The federal force — five times the size of the city’s police force of 600 officers — “invaded” Minneapolis, intimidating and angering residents, Frey said.

The shooting followed a chase

In a statement describing the events leading up to the shooting on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said federal law enforcement officers stopped a driver from Venezuela who is in the United States illegally. The person drove away and crashed into a parked car before taking off on foot, DHS said.

After officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and the three began attacking the officer, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“Fearing for his life and safety when he was ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

She added that the two people who left the apartment are in custody.

The man who was shot was in the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, O’Hara said.

The shooting occurred about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where Judd was killed. O’Hara’s account of what happened largely echoed that of the Department of Homeland Security.

During a speech before the latest shooting, Walz described Minnesota as a state of chaos, saying that what is happening in the state “defies belief.”

“Let’s be very clear, this has long since ceased to be an immigration enforcement issue,” he said. “Instead, it is an organized, brutal campaign against the people of Minnesota by our federal government.”

An official says the agent who killed Judd was injured

Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Judd, suffered internal bleeding in his torso during the encounter, a Department of Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.

The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss Ross’ medical condition. The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, nor did the agency respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, how specifically he was injured, and when he was diagnosed or given medical treatment.

Judd was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snow-covered street a few blocks from her home.

A bystander video shows an officer ordering Jade to open the door and grab the handle. As the car begins to move forward, Ross stands in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He backs up as the SUV advances and turns.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Ross was hit by the car and that Judd was using her SUV as a weapon — a self-defense claim that officials in Minnesota criticized.

Chris Madel, Ross’s attorney, declined to comment.

Judd’s family hired the same law firm that represented George Floyd’s family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. Floyd, who was black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.

Madhani reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press correspondents Julie Watson in San Diego. Rebecca Santana in Washington; Ed White in Detroit and Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis contributed.