WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday condemned President Donald Trump after he threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military troops to Minneapolis following a deadly shooting involving a federal immigration agent.
The statement followed reports that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, in a south Minneapolis neighborhood one week earlier. Local outlets also reported that two additional residents were shot by ICE agents hours before Trump’s remarks.
Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, said the move would escalate tensions rather than protect public safety.
“Invoking the Insurrection Act is unnecessary, irresponsible, and dangerous,” Shamsi said in a statement. She added that the administration was “stoking fear” by sending armed federal agents into local communities.
The ACLU said the real threat to residents comes from what Shamsi described as unchecked federal enforcement. She pointed to Good’s killing as evidence of the consequences of what she called a lack of accountability within ICE.
The ACLU emphasized that both federal agents and military troops remain bound by constitutional limits. The group said they must respect the rights to peaceful assembly, free speech and due process.
“If troops or federal agents violate these boundaries, they and their leadership must be held accountable,” Shamsi said.
The organization called on Congress to intervene. It urged lawmakers to demand that federal law enforcement forces leave Minneapolis, and to place new limits on ICE and Customs and Border Protection operations.
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