Insurrection Act and Trump's threat to send troops to Minnesota

President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops to Minneapolis after protests tied to federal officers, including the reported shooting death of Renee Good; legal experts say the law's usual triggers do not appear to apply.

The president has threatened to use the Insurrection Act to send U.S. military forces to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area after protests that followed the reported shooting death of a U.S. citizen, named in reports as Renee Good. The law allows presidents to deploy military forces domestically in limited circumstances and has a long history of use in the United States. Legal scholars and constitutional experts say the circumstances in Minneapolis do not match the law's usual triggers, and courts have already blocked some recent troop deployment efforts. Historical uses of the law include responses to uprisings, enforcement of federal rights during Reconstruction and the civil rights era, and requests from state authorities during violent unrest. Key facts: - The president has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to Minnesota in response to ongoing protests. - The protests followed the reported shooting death of a U.S. citizen, identified in coverage as Renee Good, by a federal officer. - Legal experts say the law’s standard triggers—such as a local request for help, protection of individual rights when local authorities fail to do so, or a clear insurrection—do not appear to be met in this case. - The Insurrection Act has been used historically but rarely since mid-20th century civil rights actions, and some recent deployment efforts have faced legal challenges; next legal steps are undetermined. Summary: The president’s threat to use the Insurrection Act has focused attention on whether the law applies when federal officers are already present and protests are occurring. Undetermined at this time.