“Minneapolis will be under martial law as the second Civil War begins.” At least, that is what social media panic would have you believe. The situation in Minneapolis is undeniably precarious, shaped by several escalating factors: the largest surge of ICE agents to Minnesota in Department of Homeland Security history, the killing of Renee Good by Jonathan Ross that sparked renewed protests, and ongoing confrontations between federal agents and Minnesota residents.
Suggested Reading
Governor Tim Walz has mobilized the National Guard, placing them on standby rather than deploying them, with a stated mission to protect the rights of protesters. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and has reportedly placed 1,500 Army paratroopers on standby. It is an alarming convergence of military force and civilian unrest, and it is understandable that many people are reacting with fear.
But panic thrives in confusion. The antidote is clarity.
Martial law and civil war are unlikely. What invoking the Insurrection Act would produce is something different and still serious: the use of military forces in a domestic law enforcement role. The Insurrection Act allows a president, under limited circumstances, to deploy active duty military forces or federalize a state’s National Guard to enforce federal law. This would represent a major escalation, particularly because active duty troops are normally barred from domestic policing.
If invoked, Minnesota residents could experience a heavily militarized environment. This could include increased patrols, restricted movement, controlled zones, aggressive crowd control measures, and curfews. This would feel less like public safety and more like occupation. Still, it is important to be precise. Invoking the Insurrection Act does not suspend the Constitution. Civilian government remains in place. Courts continue to function. This is not martial law, even if it might resemble it on the ground.
Some have suggested that Governor Walz should deploy the National Guard directly against ICE agents. That scenario would be extraordinarily dangerous. If a governor were to order the Guard to perform an offensive action against federal agents, it would provide a clear legal justification for the president to invoke the Insurrection Act and federalize the Guard. In that case, state forces would be placed under federal command and could be turned against their own communities.
This is the political chessboard Minnesotans are living on right now, and the consequences are not theoretical.
If Trump were to invoke the Insurrection Act without a demonstrable breakdown of state authority, the move would almost certainly be challenged in court. Governors have successfully contested similar actions before. But legal challenges take time, and even a brief deployment could fundamentally alter daily life in Minnesota. For residents already describing the current federal presence as an invasion, language now echoed in a recent lawsuit, such an escalation would feel immediate and overwhelming.
The prospect is frightening. Fear is contagious. Information is grounding. And right now, grounding matters. It allows people to prepare, to organize responsibly, and to resist misinformation designed to inflame rather than inform. Stay informed. Stay grounded.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.