Trump administration weighs invoking Insurrection Act to deploy military troops in Minnesota

As protests continue in the United States over the immigration crackdown, the Trump administration is reportedly considering invoking the Insurrection Act.

Tear gas was used on the streets of Minnesota to counter protests triggered by the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a federal agent. U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement has triggered similar scenes across the U.S. over the past year.

But Trump's tone has marked Minnesota as an inflection point.

"I don't think there's any reason right now to use it [Insurrection Act ], but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful," he told reporters on Jan. 16.

What Trump was threatening to use was one of the most controversial pieces of legislation enshrined in 1807 to effectively use the military for law enforcement.

The Insurrection Act was last used in 1992 when deadly protests engulfed Los Angeles after four white police officers caught on camera beating African American Rodney King were acquitted of the most serious charges. And before that, outrage over the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968 brought troops onto the streets of cities like Detroit and Washington D.C.

The Insurrection Act states that "Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion."

Some legal scholars say the Insurrection Act is a dangerous escalation, while others argue Trump is within his rights to do so.

Trump has already deployed National Guard soldiers across the U.S. over the objections of local authorities. His administration insists their role is limited to supporting immigration enforcement and while they do not arrest people, they can detain them.

In Washington D.C, some say they don't see the difference, while others welcome the presence of troops in the capital.

"The insurrectionist in chief is turning his insurrectionist army loose on the United States of America," said a Washington D.C. resident.

"I like them here because I live across the street and they really look out for me. Because I sometimes like to walk a lot. So I'll be out there at night and I see them, they say 'hi,' I say "hi, how are you doing?'" said another resident.

While Trump has backed off deploying more National Guard troops to cities like Chicago, they are expected to stay in Washington D.C. for the rest of 2026.

Trump administration weighs invoking Insurrection Act to deploy military troops in Minnesota

Nicaragua's co-foreign minister Valdrack Jaentschke has warned that militarism must never be allowed to rise again, as Japan's recent moves to lift its arms export ban and revise the pacifist Constitution continue to draw international concern.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, where Japan's Class-A war criminals from World War II were brought to justice.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Valdrack Jaentschke voiced his concern that today's world order is being undermined by interventionism and other challenges.

"It is necessary for us to remember that after the end of World War II, countries worked hard to build a new international order based on international law. However, regrettably, more than 80 years later, we are seeing that this once explored and attempted order is being challenged by interventionism, a confrontational mindset, and tendencies like 'might makes right.' These are precisely the conditions that gave rise to fascism and militarism in the past, which ultimately led to the tragedy of World War II," he said.

He said the international community has a responsibility to pursue a new international order -- one fundamentally grounded in peace.

"Looking back at the history more than eight decades ago and comparing it with today's reality, it is our responsibility to recognize that the world should, and must, build a new international order that is more just, fairer, rooted in international law, based on a logic of mutual benefit and shared success, and fundamentally grounded in peace," said the minister.

"Today, as we revisit the Tokyo Trials, it is meant to remind the world that such a tragedy must never be repeated -- and that we must do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again. We must stop that dark world -- born from militarism, interventionism, and fascism -- from ever returning," he said.

Nicaraguan FM warns of militarism revival