(Minneapolis, Minnesota) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz urged calm Thursday morning, calling on protesters to remain peaceful and asking President Donald Trump to “turn the temperature down,” hours after Trump warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis.
Walz’s message came roughly three hours after Trump threatened federal action following escalating protests tied to a second ICE-related shooting in the city within a week. Federal officials say the latest incident unfolded Wednesday evening during a targeted traffic stop in North Minneapolis, where an officer shot a man in the leg after allegedly being attacked with a shovel and a broom handle by multiple individuals.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the individual fled in a vehicle, crashed, then ran before a struggle broke out. DHS said the officer fired after being “ambushed” by three people. The officer and the injured man were both hospitalized, while two others were taken into custody.
Video shared online appeared to show family members of the injured man calling 911, claiming ICE agents followed him, struck his vehicle, and tried to enter their home. Protests soon followed and were later declared an unlawful assembly by police, with officers reporting objects and fireworks being thrown.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement fired back at Walz on social media, saying responsibility rests with the governor and accusing him of fueling anti-ICE rhetoric. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican candidate for governor, echoed that criticism, urging Walz to cooperate with federal authorities.
Walz’s office said he has not yet spoken directly with Trump but has been meeting with former governors and community leaders in an effort to de-escalate tensions. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also called for calm, saying peace would require cooperation from all sides.
The unrest follows last week’s fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good in south Minneapolis, an incident that continues to fuel anger and protests across the city.
