Tensions are running high in the US state of Minnesota following the fatal shooting of a woman by a federal agent, with former President Donald Trump threatening to invoke a historic law to quell growing unrest.
Protests and Legal Action Escalate
The situation remains volatile in Minneapolis in the wake of the killing of Renee Good by a federal officer. Approximately 3,000 immigration officers are either already operating within the state or are currently deploying there, according to reports.
In a significant legal move, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Trump administration. The suit accuses federal immigration authorities in Minnesota of engaging in racial profiling and unlawful arrests.
This legal challenge comes as Donald Trump threatened to use the Insurrection Act in response to widespread demonstrations against federal immigration operations. The 1807 law allows a president to deploy the US military domestically to suppress civil disorder.
State and Local Leaders Appeal for Calm
Minnesota's Governor, Tim Walz, has made a direct plea for peaceful protest and appealed to the president to de-escalate the situation. "Speak out loudly, urgently but also peacefully," Walz urged demonstrators.
In a strongly-worded statement aimed at the federal response, he added, "Stop this campaign of retribution. This is not who we are."
The crisis deepened on Wednesday night when a federal officer shot a man in the leg during an enforcement operation in north Minneapolis, sparking further outcry and protests.
Following this incident, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey beseeched residents not to respond with violence. "We cannot counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos," Frey stated, warning constituents "not to take the bait."
Other Key Developments
In related national and international news:
- A delegation of US parliamentarians is in Copenhagen for talks with Danish and Greenlandic officials. While a new working group was formed to discuss disagreements over Greenland, Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, insisted its purpose was for "technical talks on the acquisition of Greenland."
- In further immigration news, the death of a man held at a federal detention camp in Texas in early January may be investigated as a homicide. The local medical examiner's preliminary finding cited "asphyxia due to neck and chest compression."
- Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of senators on Capitol Hill on Thursday. She later stated she had presented Trump with her Nobel peace prize medal.
- An appeals court dismissed a lawsuit by Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and Columbia graduate, challenging his initial detention. The ruling opens a path for his re-arrest. Khalil was released last year after being detained for his role in pro-Palestinian protests.
