The Twin Cities are on the brink of the streets. However, over a week Minneapolis has been the epicenter of a historic standoff between federal power and local civil rights1 yet he is not only targeting protesters, he is getting deep into a legal and political minefield that may mark the rest of his second term.
As Operation Metro Surge has turned residential neighborhoods into what the locals call a military occupation, it has never been more personal yet the President has not been getting support of the American people, including the law.
The Legal Tightrope: Why the Insurrection Act is a Fallback.
The real peak of this Insurrection Act rhetoric comes out of the blue after a colossal judicial blockbuster. On December 23 2025 the Supreme Court issued a breathtaking 6-3 decision in Trump v.4 Illinois and barred the emergency demand by the administration to federalize the National Guard forces to act as domestic enforcers.
The Posse Comitatus Obstacle.
The Court ruling rested upon the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which generally specifies that the military should not act as a domestic law enforcement agency in the United States of America by declaring the administration had no power to suspend Title 10 U.S.Code to override state objections.
The Court left Trump with just one nuclear option: the Insurrection Act.7 In order to invoke this 219 years old law, the President has to follow special protocol
• Presidential Proclamation: 10 U.S.C. § 254(a): Under this law, the President should first declare a formal declaration asking the insurgents to disperse within a specified period of time.
• The Statutory Exception: The Insurrection Act offers the only legal exception, the Posse Comitatus, where the regular U.S. Military can enforce domestic legislation.
The Tragedy of Renee Nicole Good: A Crisis Starter.
The present firestorm began January 7, 2026, when a poet and legal observer called Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent named Jonathan Ross, although the administration immediately tried to label the incident as domestic terrorism, eyewitness videos disagreed.
The consequences have been quick and harsh:
• The Metro Surge Shootings: Since the operation started, at least nine reported cases of federal agents opening fire have been reported.
Public Outrage: CNN/Yahoo-YouGov polls in January 2026 indicate that 56 percent of registered voters consider the shooting of Renee Good as “inappropriate” an astounding 2 to 1 upset against the administration narrative.
Local Resistance Governor Tim Walz has denounced the threats as a campaign of retribution, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has demanded immediate disclosure.
A Historic Political Risk.
The invocation of the Insurrection Act against the desire of a state governor is not the action since the Civil Rights era–and then it was applied to enforce constitutional rights, rather than quash demonstrations against federal agents.
By proceeding, Trump would be playing into the rhetoric of authoritarian takeover of his opponents. A military crackdown will only serve as a fuel to a localized crisis turning into a national disaster instead of calming down the unrest.
Disclaimer:
The news information used in this case is founded on the reports and credible sources. Updates by the official news outlets are to be cross-checked by the readers.