US President Donald Trump threatened on Jan. 15 to potentially invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy troops to address protests in Minnesota targeting federal law enforcement officers. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated that immigration enforcement personnel would not be withdrawn from the area and affirmed that Trump has the authority to invoke the Insurrection Act.
In a post on a social media platform that day, Trump declared: "If corrupt politicians in Minnesota fail to uphold the law and stop professional agitators and insurgents from attacking ICE patriots who are doing their duty, I will follow the example of many former presidents and invoke the Insurrection Act to swiftly end the tragedy unfolding in what was once a great state."
The Insurrection Act is a law that authorizes the president to deploy the military on US soil. Under this act, the president can also command the National Guard to come under federal control to respond to domestic unrest or armed rebellion against the government.
Homeland Security Secretary Noem commented that it is one of the constitutional options available to President Trump. We have also discussed continuing operations in Minneapolis and providing the necessary resources to accomplish the mission, and the president may consider it in the future. It is his constitutional right, and the decision to invoke it rests with him.
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