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Trump Threatens Insurrection Act in MN 01/16 06:16
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke an 1807 law and
deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to
Minneapolis to enforce his administration's massive immigration crackdown.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke
an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal
officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration's massive
immigration crackdown.
The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an immigration
officer who had been attacked with a shovel and broom handle. That shooting
further heightened the fear and anger that has radiated across the city since
an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good in the
head.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely
used federal law, to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard
for domestic law enforcement, over the objections of state governors. In 2020,
for example, he threatened to use the act to quell protests after George Floyd
was killed by Minneapolis police, and in recent months he threatened to use it
for immigration protests.
"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota 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," Trump said in social
media post.
Presidents have invoked the law more than two dozen times, most recently in
1992 by President George H.W. Bush to end unrest in Los Angeles. In that
instance, local authorities asked for the assistance.
"I'm making a direct appeal to the President: Let's turn the temperature
down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are," Gov. Tim
Walz, a Democrat, said on X.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he would challenge any such
action in court. He's already suing to try to stop the surge by the Department
of Homeland Security, which says officers have arrested more than 2,500 people
since Nov. 29 as part of an immigration operation in the Twin Cities called
Metro Surge.
The operation grew when ICE, which is a DHS agency, sent 2,000 officers and
agents to the area in early January.
Protests, tear gas and another shooting
Protesters gathered Thursday night at the federal building that is being
used as a base for the crackdown, yelling "shame on you" at the officers
guarding the facility.
Demonstrations have become common since Good was fatally shot Jan. 7, but
this night's protest was slightly more subdued a day after the governor and
mayor implored protesters to remain peaceful.
"This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in and
at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe,"
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota filed a class-action lawsuit
on behalf of three people who said they were questioned or detained in recent
days. The lawsuit says two are Somali and one is Hispanic; all three are U.S.
citizens. The lawsuit seeks an end to what the ACLU describes as a practice of
racial profiling and warrantless arrests. The government did not immediately
comment.
Similar lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles and Chicago and despite
seeing initial success, have tended to fizzle in the face of appeal. In
Chicago, for example, last year a judge ordered a senior U.S. Border Patrol
official to brief her nightly following a lawsuit by news outlets and
protesters who said agents used too much force during demonstrations. But three
days later, an appeals court stopped the updates.
Shooting followed a chase
Homeland Security said in a statement that federal law enforcement officers
on Wednesday stopped a driver from Venezuela who is in the U.S. illegally. The
person drove off then crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot, DHS
said.
Officers caught up, then two other people arrived and the three started
attacking the officer, according to DHS.
"Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three
individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life," DHS said.
The confrontation took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from where Good
was killed.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man who was shot did not have a
life-threatening injury. O'Hara's account of what happened largely echoed that
of Homeland Security, which later said the other two men were also in the U.S.
illegally from Venezuela.
The FBI said several government vehicles were damaged and property inside
was stolen when agents responded to the shooting. Photos show broken windows
and insults made with paint. A reward of up to $100,000 is being offered for
information. The FBI's Minneapolis office did not immediately reply to messages
seeking more details.
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
coming 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.
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