Republican lawmakers are protesting the threat of the Trump Insurrection Act in Minneapolis
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Several Republican lawmakers are looking to talk President Donald Trump into using the Sedition Act in Minneapolis as the city sees protests over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) killings – including the shooting of Renee Nicole Good.
The Sedition Act, passed in 1807, was last invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots over the release of LAPD officers involved in the beating of Rodney King.
If requested, the Sedition Act would allow Trump to send in active duty military or members of the National Guard to restore order. It would temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally limits the use of the military to maintain domestic law.
TRUMP THREATS TO INTRODUCE MINNESOTA CURRENT LAW IF AGITATORS CONTINUE ATTACKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
A Border Patrol Tactical Unit agent sprays pepper in the face of a protester who tries to block an immigration officer’s car in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 7. 2026. (Alex Kormann/Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
There are some Republican lawmakers who disagree with the idea of the president using the centuries-old law after Good’s firing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., appeared to downplay Trump’s threat, pinning his trust in local law enforcement’s ability to “solve things on the ground.”
“We hope that the local officials who cooperate not only with law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also with the local police will be able to fix things,” Thune told reporters.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., questioned whether it would be appropriate to initiate the action, according to The Hill.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., also expressed her concern about the move, saying the administration needs to be “very careful,” The Hill reported.
President Donald Trump looks on during the announcement of new fuel efficiency standards in the Oval Office at the White House on December 3, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
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“I heard that since the shooting [of Good] a week or so ago that we had to be very careful, very careful, very careful in the way we proceed, not only in Minnesota but in other places, to avoid conflict, potential conflicts as it relates to ICE enforcement being pushed back,” Murkowski said, according to The Hill.
The Alaska senator said the situation in Minneapolis is reminiscent of what happened “during George Floyd,” referring to the wave of protests and riots that followed Floyd’s death in 2020 in the same city. Protests over Floyd’s death erupted in the final year of Trump’s first term during the COVID-19 crisis, as Black Lives Matter and anti-police crowds filled the streets of American cities.
“Everything was tense and volatile. We don’t need that,” Murkowski said, according to The Hill.
Protesters hold a banner during the “I Can’t Breathe” Silent March in Minneapolis, Minn., Sunday, March 7, 2021. (Emilie Richardson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Trump issued the threat on Thursday, saying he would invoke the Sedition Act if Minnesotans continue to defy the law and attack federal agents.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota disobey the law and stop the professional insurgents and insurgents from attacking the ICE patriots, who are only trying to do their job, I will establish the INSURRECTION ACT, as many Presidents have done before me, and immediately put an end to the corruption that is happening in that state of Truth Social,” wrote Trump.
Following Trump’s post, Gov. Minnesota, Tim Walz, called for silence and extended the request to the people of his state.
“Let’s lower the temperature. Stop this revenge campaign. This is not us,” said the Democrat. “And a plea to the people of Minnesota: I know this is scary. We can – we must – speak loudly, urgently, but also quietly. We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants.”
An explosive device was set off near the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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In response to Walz, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and the Democrat leaders in Minnesota have done nothing but turn up the heat, insult ICE’s heroic officers, and incite violence against them – all to protect immigrant criminals.”
“In Minnesota, ICE has arrested rapists, drug traffickers, domestic abusers, and more, despite Democrat opposition. The Trump administration will protect the American people and enforce the law without apology. The only statement Tim Walz should make is to apologize. He repeatedly compared ICE officers to Nazis and lied about their important work, including his speech last night,” said Jackson.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.
