Tim Walz appeals for calm after Trump threatens 'Insurrection Act' in Minnesota

WASHINGTON, DC: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a public appeal on Thursday, January 15, urging President Donald Trump to de-escalate rhetoric and avoid further inflaming tensions, after the president threatened to invoke the 'Insurrection Act' in response to protests in Minneapolis.

Walz called for calm and restraint as demonstrations linked to immigration enforcement actions continued across the state.

His remarks came amid heightened concern over the presence of federal immigration agents and the possibility of military involvement in domestic law enforcement. State lawmakers and federal officials offered sharply different assessments of the unfolding situation.

Tim Walz calls for de-escalation as Trump raises 'Insurrection Act' threat

In a statement posted on social media, Walz said that he was making a “direct appeal” to the president following Trump’s warning that federal troops could be deployed to Minnesota if unrest continued. 

“Let’s turn the temperature down. Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are,” Walz wrote.

The governor also addressed Minnesotans directly, urging peaceful civic engagement despite rising fear and anger surrounding immigration enforcement actions.

“I know this is scary,” he said. “We can, we must, speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully. We cannot fan the flames of chaos. That’s what he wants.”

Trump issued the warning after a federal officer shot a man in the leg during a confrontation in Minneapolis.

In a social media post, Trump blamed Minnesota’s political leadership for failing to control the situation.

“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of ICE, who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” he wrote, adding that previous presidents had used the law to quell unrest.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday that Trump had the authority to invoke the 'Insurrection Act' and confirmed that she had discussed the possibility with him.

She said that the federal agent involved in Wednesday’s incident was “beat up” and “bruised,” and stressed that the Department of Homeland Security had “no plans to pull out of Minnesota.”

Lawmakers raise alarm over ICE presence 

As the debate over federal intervention escalated, a group of Minnesota Democratic lawmakers called on hospitals to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from their facilities, citing reports that ICE agents were allowed inside a Minneapolis hospital for more than 24 hours without a judicial warrant.  

In a joint statement, the lawmakers said ICE’s presence in health care settings “endangers everyone” and urged hospitals to adopt clear policies to protect patient care and privacy.

“It is illegal for ICE to enter private buildings and residences without a judicial warrant, and it is absolutely unconscionable to deliberately put patients’ health at risk,” the statement said.

The lawmakers added, “Every person in our country is entitled to due process and constitutional protections from unreasonable searches and seizure, no matter their immigration status.”

They also called on ICE to leave the state, saying, “You are not welcome here, you are not wanted anywhere, you are not making anyone safer or healthier, and your presence causes harm.”