By Jonas Vilkas
Protests against the ICE “surge” in Minneapolis have materialized and persisted in the days since the killing of Renee Good. On Saturday, tens of thousands gathered to rally against the presence of ICE in the city. A coalition of labor unions, churches, and other community groups have called for residents of Minnesota to refuse to attend work, attend school, or shop on January 23.
January 14, exactly a week after the killing of Renee Good, a federal officer from an unspecified agency executed another shooting, injuring an unnamed victim. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that the officer was ambushed while pursuing the victim following a traffic stop. According to the City of Minneapolis, the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. An impromptu protest broke out in the area of the shooting, with federal officers deploying tear gas, flash bangs, and other less-lethal munitions on protestors. In one incident, six children were hospitalized, of which one was a six-month old baby, after ICE utilized munitions on a car they were traveling in with their parents.
In reaction to the events, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, characterizing the protestors as “professional agitators and insurrectionists”, and threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act. The U.S. Deputy Attorney General also took to X and classified the recent protests as an insurrection. The Insurrection Act, if invoked, allows the President to federalize state National Guard forces, as well as directly deploy the U.S. military within its borders. Trump has repeatedly threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, first in 2020 in response to the George Floyd uprising. In 2025, he had threatened to invoke the act in Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago. The federalization of National Guard forces has already been a central tactic in Trump’s second term, with deployments in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Memphis, Chicago, and New Orleans. This is a signal of the centralization of power in the Executive Branch, a critical feature of fascistization in the U.S.
The contradiction between the U.S. federal government and Minnesota state government continues to intensify, with Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey renewing their calls for ICE to leave the city; while also demonizing the section of protestors who are more confrontational. Additionally, Tim Walz instructed the Minnesota National Guard to prepare for deployment, for the purpose of suppressing protests if they do not follow the “rules” set by officials. The Department of Homeland Security has said there are no plans for ICE to leave the city.
