Minneapolis shooting: Trump says he will invoke Insurrection Act if Minnesota politicians 'don't obey the law'
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Thousands of ICE and Border Patrol personnel have been sent to Minnesota, with tear gas and pepper spray used in confrontations with protesters.
What we know
- President Donald Trump said today on Truth Social that he would invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota politicians "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."
- The Insurrection Act, a rarely used 1807 law, gives the president the authority to deploy the military domestically without prior congressional approval.
- The Department of Homeland Security said a federal officer shot a Venezuelan man in the leg in Minneapolis last night, alleging the man fled after a traffic stop and attacked the officer.
- The shooting came a week after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in the city, sparking local and nationwide protests and vigils.
- Protests have continued, with federal agents using tear gas and flash bang devices on the streets of Minneapolis. Video showed protesters launching fireworks at officers.
- Around 3,000 federal agents have been sent to Minnesota in what DHS says is the biggest operation in its history. The city has about 600 police officers, Mayor Jacob Frey said.
- Trump and senior government figures have said they are determined to root out "corruption" they have linked to the local Somali population.
- Gov. Tim Walz called on the federal government to end the "occupation" and said agents were "kidnapping people for no reason."
'It feels like an invasion': Minnesotans stunned as federal officers flood their state
The federal officers arrived weeks ago. But since the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, their numbers have swelled — and people here say the weight of it all is inescapable. Federal officers are flooding the sidewalks of their neighborhoods, honks and whistles sound when they are near and, occasionally, the smell of chemical agents wafts by.
The scale, the sustained intensity and the aggression demonstrated by law enforcement deployed here appears to be greater than immigration enforcement operations that took place in other blue cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina, all of which are larger than Minneapolis in land mass and population.
The officers are in unmarked cars idling on neighborhood streets. They are going door to door, residents said. They are seen inside stores and in retail parking lots, including at the Target in Richfield, south of Minneapolis, the day after Good was killed.
Residents’ videos of violent arrests are proliferating on social media, including one of a woman dragged from her car. Some videos provided to NBC News by activists show officers smashing car windows or spraying chemicals point-blank into the faces of residents.
“It feels like an invasion,” said a woman who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation. She was protesting at the Whipple federal detention facility at 7 a.m. on a frigid, 12-degree morning. The woman, a restaurant owner, said she closed her business temporarily because she was trying to protect her employees who were immigrants. “It feels very much like a Nazi Germany situation to me. It needs to stop, and people need to know what’s going on.”
Lawsuit accuses agents of racial profiling in Minneapolis
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for Minnesota against ICE on behalf of three people who say they have been racially profiled in recent weeks, the ACLU said in a statement.
“The Trump administration has been clear in its targeting of the Somali and Latino communities through Operation Metro Surge. President Trump called people from Somalia ‘garbage,’ said ‘we don’t want them in our country,’ and told them to ‘go back to where they came from,’” the statement read in part.
“Following Trump’s comments, ICE and CBP agents have indiscriminately arrested — without warrants or probable cause — Minnesotans solely because the agents perceived them to be Somali or Latino,” it said.
In an emailed statement, the Department of Homeland Security denied wrongdoing and called the allegations “disgusting, reckless, and categorically FALSE.”
L.A. mayor 'deeply alarmed' by reports of ICE activity in Fashion District
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she is "deeply alarmed" by reports of ICE activity in the city's downtown Fashion District, which was one of the first areas targeted in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown over the summer.
"This show of force by ICE is particularly troubling given the recent ICE escalation and violence in American cities, including the fatal shootings of Keith Porter Jr. by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve here in Los Angeles and Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis," Bass said in a statement today. "Equally troubling are the President’s threats of invoking the Insurrection Act, which would bring military intervention into our cities."
She said the administration's tactics only "sow terror" and "disrupt basic principles of safety."
Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., also posted on X earlier today that his office received reports of “heavy ICE presence” and agents actively walking the area near 12th and Maple streets in the Fashion District.
'They just shot a lady': Logs show frantic response to shooting
Newly released transcripts of 911 calls and dispatch logs provide an additional look at the chaotic moments after an ICE officer shot Renee Good to death on Jan. 7 — and emergency responders’ attempts to save her.
The documents, which NBC News obtained through public records requests, begin with witnesses calling 911 to report the shooting near the corner of East 34th Street and Portland Avenue. One caller, who isn’t identified in the transcript, says that they saw an ICE officer shoot through a woman’s windshield, that she tried to drive away but crashed and that her partner ran to help. “She’s bleeding,” the caller says.
A second caller tells a dispatcher: “They just shot a lady. Point blank range in her car.” He says they shot her “cause she wouldn’t open her car door. There’s video of it, too.” The caller pleads: “Send an ambulance please.”
Dispatch logs indicate that the first 911 call was at 9:38 a.m. The logs indicate screaming in the background of that call. There’s a request for crowd control and to block off the area around the shooting.
By 9:42 a.m., the first EMS personnel arrive, from the Minneapolis Fire Department. They find the victim in the driver’s seat, unresponsive and bloody. They remove her from the car, set her on a snowbank and find apparent gunshot wounds on her chest, left arm and head. They begin trying to save her life, using chest compressions, a tourniquet, breathing devices and other techniques, and are eventually joined by paramedics from Hennepin County Medical Center.
The shooting scene grows more frenzied, with a crowd becoming “hostile,” the logs say. By 10:04, the ICE officer who fired — later identified as Jonathan Ross — has been taken to a federal building. The log says “agitators” gather on the perimeter of the scene, cutting down police tape. A call goes out for someone to have federal personnel leave the scene. The crowd grows more agitated. People try to surround federal officers.
The medics keep working on the victim in an ambulance and at the hospital until they finally stop at 10:30 a.m. Over dispatch, her name is announced: Renee Macklin Good. City Council members and the mayor arrive. Federal officers deploy pepper spray on people near the scene. People throw ice and snow at them. “Going to be overrun shortly,” says a 11:08 a.m. note in the log. Soon after, federal agents leave, the crowd calms, and the FBI arrives to start processing the scene.
Attorneys representing Renee Good's family ask federal government to preserve evidence
Attorneys for Renee Good’s family say they’ve sent a letter asking the federal government to preserve evidence for possible legal action.
The letter was to ensure “no evidence is destroyed," including Good’s vehicle and videos and communications sent between agents, law firm Romanucci & Blandin said in a statement today.
“We hope the federal government will comply with their legal obligations. But if they do not, the government’s failure to preserve evidence could lead to potential sanctions for non-compliance with their legal and ethical obligations,” the firm said.
The attorneys also sought to clear up “persistent false reports” and stressed that Good had no criminal or felony record.
“Renee and Becca Good were responsible community members who lived peacefully and did not engage in harmful conduct toward others, including the federal agents involved on January 7, 2026,” the team said.
About 3,000 federal agents are in the Minneapolis area
There are roughly 3,000 federal agents on the ground in the Minneapolis area making immigration arrests, a federal law enforcement official told NBC News.
They include more than 2,000 ICE officers and agents, hundreds of Border Patrol agents and some personnel from Justice Department agencies.
A Minneapolis man said his children had to be taken to the hospital after an officer reportedly threw tear gas toward his vehicle.
The man said he was traveling with his family when the incident happened.
All of the kids were in the back, and “my wife was in the front seat. I was pulling off,” he said. “I don’t know if it came from the bottom, came through the vents, but my car just filled up like it caught on fire.”
He said all six of his children, ages 6 months to 11 years old, were taken to the hospital.
“My kids can’t breathe,” he said.
Classroom changes announced
St. Paul Public Schools, with more than 30,000 students, said it would begin offering an online learning option for students who do not feel comfortable going to school. Schools will be closed next week until Thursday to prepare for those accommodations.
Minneapolis Public Schools, which has a similar enrollment, is also offering temporary remote learning. The University of Minnesota will start a new term next week with different options depending on the class.
Tear gas deployed as ICE officers clash with protesters outside government building
Tear gas has been deployed as dozens of masked ICE officers are clashing with a group of about 100 protesters in front of the Whipple Building.
Federal immigration officers confront protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building today. Adam Gray / AP
Masked agents in riot gear are trying to clear protesters off the street in front of the local DHS office building. The protesters have shouted profanity and at times punched vehicles that appear to carry ICE officers.
At least one person has been detained.
A woman covers her face to protect from tear gas outside the Whipple Building today. Adam Gray / AP
Community member cleans up debris near site of shooting
Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
A community member cleaned up debris today near the site in north Minneapolis where a shooting by federal agents occurred last night.
An intact pepper ball found on the street. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
A container of CS gas lies in the street. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
Vandalized car left behind after clashes in Minneapolis
Leah Millis / Reuters
People look at a vandalized car believed to belong to federal law enforcement in north Minneapolis last night after law enforcement officials deployed tear gas and munitions at protesting community members in the area.
Neighbor says he heard gunshots from last night's shooting
Tommy Ross, 72, lives down the block from where last night’s shooting took place. He said he heard gunshots but didn’t see what happened.
“It’s quiet here,” he said. “We don’t have no problems or nothing, and much of this town on North Side is bad, but it’s still quiet.”
He said he watched the protests from his house.
Ross, who has lived in the city for 40 years, said he has never seen its people quite as energized as now.
“Minneapolis has changed,” he said. “But Trump sees that, and he’s trying to take advantage of this small city.”
Suspect charged with assault after allegedly ramming truck into ICE vehicles in Dallas
Federal officials announced assault charges Thursday against a man who allegedly used a truck loaded with heavy equipment to ram into federal agents’ vehicles during an immigration arrest in Dallas last month.
Jerson Lopez-Sanchez, 28, was charged with three counts of assaulting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to a grand jury indictment filed in the U.S. Eastern District of Texas. He is not currently in custody and has yet to turn himself in, the indictment said.
Jay Combs, the U.S. Attorney for the district, told reporters that the ICE agents were clearly identified as law enforcement at the time of the incident.
“When someone runs down an ICE officer — or any federal or local law enforcement officer — those deadly weapons act as battering rams,” Combs said. “It is a violent attack and it will not be tolerated.”
Lopez-Sanchez had no known criminal background or active warrants, according to officials as of Thursday, Combs said.
The charges stem from a Dec. 1 incident in which ICE agents on patrol were asked do a “routine check” on a Chevrolet Silverado, the indictment said. Officials said five people were in the truck but Lopez-Sanchez was the owner and driver of the Silverado.
Gov. Walz makes direct appeal to Trump: 'Stop this campaign of retribution'
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump in a Thursday post on X.
“Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” he wrote.
His plea came after the president warned that he would invoke the Insurrection Act if state politicians didn’t “obey the law” and “stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E.” The rarely used Insurrection Act authorizes the president to deploy the military domestically without prior congressional approval.
Walz also appealed to Minnesotans.
“I know this is scary. We can — we must — speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully,” the governor said. “We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants.”
Streets of northern Minneapolis empty after last night's protests
The residential area where last night's protests occurred is now relatively empty — but remnants of the confrontation remain. Yellow caution tape and other debris are scattered on the sidewalks of the residential area in the city's Hawthorne neighborhood.
Members of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension search for evidence today at a home in Minneapolis near where federal agents shot a man last night. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
AG Pam Bondi says she fired 6 prosecutors after they tried to resign
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that she fired six prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota after they attempted to resign.
“We had six prosecutors who suddenly decided they didn’t want to support the men and women in ICE,” Bondi said in a Wednesday-night interview.
It was reported that the prosecutors resigned over their concerns about the handling of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
“They said, ‘We want to resign, but we want to use our annual leave up until April,’ meaning they wanted the taxpayers to pay for them to go on vacation because they decided they didn’t want to support law enforcement,” Bondi said. “So, the breaking news tonight, I fired them all.”
Demonstrators bundle up to fight the cold
Demonstrators outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Scott Olson / Getty Images
June Pierce prays during a vigil Wednesday near the site where Renee Good was killed. Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
Hitting the streets in the dead of a Midwest winter, protesters are battling the elements with hats, gloves and puffy parkas.
Temperatures in Minneapolis plummet as tensions rise
It's currently 12 degrees in Minneapolis as the sun rises over the Twin Cities region.
With tensions high out on the streets, temperatures will remain low today, with a high of 32 this evening.
Another round of light snow is expected in the area this morning through Friday as protests continue in Minneapolis.
Trump says he will invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota politicians 'don’t obey the law'
President Donald Trump said in a post today on Truth Social that he would invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota politicians "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," he wrote. "Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT."
The Insurrection Act, a rarely used 1807 law, gives the president the authority to deploy the military domestically without congressional approval. Last year, Trump repeatedly floated invoking the Insurrection Act in order to federalize National Guard troops.
Federal officers and protesters clash in Minneapolis
Video shows federal officers in Minneapolis appearing to use tear gas and flash bangs on demonstrators protesting their presence in the city.
Photos: Federal agents clash with protesters
Federal law enforcement clashed with enraged Minneapolis residents last night, after an officer shot a Venezuelan man in a leg during an attempted traffic stop.
Federal law enforcement officers during confrontations with residents in Minneapolis early this morning, after yesterday's shooting incident. Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg via Getty Images
In the immediate wake of reports citing an ICE-involved shooting on the North Side of Minneapolis, agents secured a perimeter and fired multiple rounds of tear gas, pepper balls and flash bangs. Dave Decker / ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters
Federal agents deploy tear gas and pepper balls against community members during protest as tensions intensified in north Minneapolis, last night. Mostafa Bassim / Anadolu via Getty Images
Federal agents in the midst of the protests in Minneapolis last night. Dave Decker / ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters
An unmarked federal vehicle is damaged after being broken into and damaged by protestors in North Minneapolis last night. Steven Garcia / via Reuters
Deputy AG Todd Blanche blames Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey for Minneapolis 'insurrection'
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are responsible for inciting an "insurrection," according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Blanche wrote on X last night that ICE operates in "thousands of counties without incident" and blamed them for "encouraging violence against law enforcement."
"It’s disgusting. Walz and Frey — I’m focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary. This is not a threat. It’s a promise," he wrote.
It's not clear how the two men are accused of inciting violence — while they have strongly criticized the federal operation, both released statements last night calling for calm and urged protesters to remain peaceful.
ICE recruitment error meant some officers were sent out into field without proper training, sources say
NBC News has found that some ICE officers were sent out into the field without proper training. The error was because an artificial intelligence tool used to help ICE identify potential new recruits with law enforcement experience wrongly categorized some potential new officers, sources say.
Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey: Situation is 'not sustainable'
The mayor of Minnesota, Jacob Frey, has said that the situation in his city is not sustainable and described the conduct of ICE as "intolerable."
Writing on X, Frey said: "Tonight a man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent on the Northside. No matter what led up to this incident, the situation we are seeing in our city is not sustainable."
He continued: "I have seen conduct from ICE that is intolerable. And for anyone taking the bait tonight, stop. It is not helpful. We cannot respond to Donald Trump’s chaos with our own chaos."
DHS has maintained that the federal operation in Minnesota is necessary to root out local corruption and tackle illegal immigration.
Fireworks and chants of 'go home' at overnight protests in Minneapolis
Protesters and federal agents were engaged in tense standoffs last night, according to footage captured by NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis.
Video shows large groups of officers and protesters on suburban streets, with some protesters launching fireworks, while officers used tear gas and flash bangs.
Gov. Walz cautions protesters against 'violence in the streets'
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz urged locals to remain peaceful in their opposition to the federal immigration crackdown in the state.
Writing on X, he said: "State investigators have been on the scene in North Minneapolis. I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets. But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants."
New tensions in Minneapolis over ICE law enforcement operations
Protestors clashed with federal law enforcement in Minneapolis. A DHS official told NBC News the ICE officer involved in the shooting of Renee Good suffered internal bleeding in the incident. An attorney for the Good family is also speaking out.
ICE may soon be conducting operations in Maine, mayor says
Mayor Carl Sheline said in a statement yesterday that ICE may conduct enforcement in Lewiston “soon.” He did not provide additional details in the statement about how he was made aware of the possible operation.
“I understand that this is an unsettling time for many of our residents,” he said. “Lewiston is a strong city and we care about our community and each other. Please check on your neighbors and stay safe.”
He urged residents and businesses to know their rights and prepare a “plan of action” in case ICE stops them.
Asked for comment on Sheline’s post about an operation in Lewiston, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin did not confirm the report.
“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” she said. “We do not discuss future or potential operations.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills said her administration has attempted “unsuccessfully thus far” to confirm reports that federal operations are planned in the state.
Nonetheless, her administration is preparing, she said. She said she directed Maine State Police to work with law enforcement, been in contact with city officials in Portland and Lewiston, and is coordinating with the attorney general’s office.
“If any operations take place, our goal — as always — will be to protect the safety and the rights of the people of Maine,” Mills said.
She also issued a warning to the federal government saying: “If your plan is to come here to be provocative and to undermine the civil rights of Maine residents, do not be confused — those tactics are not welcome here.”
Walz to Trump, Noem: ‘End this occupation’ as ICE raids continue
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called out the continued presence of ICE in the state, saying what is happening in the state “defies belief” and said agents were “kidnapping innocent people with no warning.”
