Demonstrators march to protest federal immigration enforcement operations and to demand justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom were fatally shot by federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. Even as the second death of a protester in Minnesota brought demands for accountability, President Donald Trump, insulated from dissenting voices, stuck to his pattern of reflexively blaming opponents. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
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President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “under no circumstances” get involved with protests in Democratic-led cities unless they ask for federal help or federal property is threatened.
Cities must protect their own state and local properties, Trump wrote in a social media post. ICE and Border Patrol personnel will continue to guard federal buildings, Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The announcement comes a day after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis and across the country to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agencies from Minnesota, following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
The Trump administration had sent 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration, and many of those officials found themselves facing off with protesters and activists.
It’s the most recent example of Trump’s willingness to use federal personnel in cities. He has sent federal law enforcement officers or National Guard members to a number of cities largely governed by Democrats, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.
He has said the moves are necessary to enforce immigration laws and control crime. Local leaders in most of those cities have disputed that assertion.
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(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Robin Respaut in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams, Sergio Non and Alistair Bell)
