US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to defend intensified federal immigration enforcement following a deadly ICE operation in Minneapolis, sharply criticising Minnesota leaders and local backlash while reiterating his hard-line stance on immigration.
In a lengthy post, Trump wrote that “ICE is removing some of the most violent criminals in the World from our Country, and bring them back home, where they belong.” He questioned why Minnesota officials were resisting these efforts and urged them to stop what he characterised as protection of violent offenders.
“Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community?” Trump wrote, framing the debate around crime and public safety.
Trump also cast protesters opposed to ICE raids in a negative light, calling them “highly paid professional agitators and anarchists” and accusing state politicians of using unrest to divert attention from alleged political scandals.
“The crooked Governor and ‘Congresswoman’ Omar, who married her brother, don’t mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the 18 Billion Dollar, Plus, FRAUD, that has taken place in the State! Don’t worry, we’re on it!” Trump posted.
The Truth Social message came amid escalating tensions in Minneapolis, where the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good during a federal immigration enforcement operation sparked protests and national debate over ICE tactics and use of force.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with Reuters and other outlets reporting that federal agents were deployed in larger numbers as the Trump administration pushes a sweeping enforcement initiative in major cities, including Minneapolis and New York.
Public opinion in the US has also shown deep divisions over the incident. A recent national poll found a majority of Americans saying the ICE agent’s shooting was unjustified and inappropriate, with many expressing concern about public safety implications of the enforcement actions.
The unrest has drawn federal warnings as well. Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy US military forces if local authorities do not curb protests against ICE and federal agents — a move that underscores the administration’s tough rhetoric as demonstrations continue.
Locally in Minneapolis, protests have persisted and drawn broad community engagement, with some city officials and residents demanding ICE leave the region and calling for accountability. A federal agent shot another individual in the city during a subsequent enforcement operation, heightening tensions further.
Pentagon prepares 1,500 troops
The Pentagon has ordered roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for potential deployment to Minnesota amid escalating protests against federal immigration enforcement, according to a report.
The troops have been placed on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the state intensifies, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed defense officials. It is not yet clear whether any of the soldiers will actually be sent.
A White House spokesperson told the outlet that it is standard for the Pentagon “to be prepared for any decision the President may or may not make.”
Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act
The threat comes after confrontations between residents and federal officers intensified in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s most-populous city, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a US citizen and mother of three, on January 7. Good was shot by an ICE agent as she drove away after being ordered to exit her vehicle.
Since early last week, Trump has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents from ICE and Border Patrol to Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul as part of a wave of interventions targeting cities led by Democratic officials. The administration has also indicated plans for troop deployments in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Memphis, and Portland, citing the need to fight crime and protect federal personnel and property from protesters.
Controversy over federal overreach
Local leaders have criticized Trump for federal overreach, accusing him of exaggerating isolated incidents of violence to justify deploying military forces.
Trump has repeatedly cited a scandal involving the theft of federal welfare funds in Minnesota as part of his rationale for sending immigration agents into the state. The administration has also repeatedly singled out the Somali immigrant community in Minnesota.
The Insurrection Act grants the president authority to deploy military or federalize National Guard troops within the United States to quell domestic uprisings, a power that has historically been invoked only in extreme circumstances.
Curated by David Kim
