Donald Trump threatens to bring in 219-year-old law following ICE controversy

Donald Trump has threatened to reinstate a 219-year-old law amid ongoing unrest after the killing of Minnesota mother Renee Good.

Last week, 37-year-old US citizen Renee Good was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, Jonathan Ross, following a confrontation between the pair in the state's capital Minneapolis.

Her death has since reignited widespread unrest against the deployment of ICE across several US cities, prompting Trump to once again threaten to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act if the protests in Minnesota did not 'obey the law'.

"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State," the 79-year-old threatened on Truth Social.

Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis in response to protests over the killing of Renee Good (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)

What is the Insurrection Act?

Signed into law in 1807, the Insurrection Act allows the US President to nationally deploy the US military and federalise the National Guard units for specific circumstances, such as to combat insurrection or rebellion against the federal government.

The Insurrection Act has been invoked several times since its creation 219 years ago, with most incidents involving violence at protests, strike and riots. A president is required to consult Congress before invoking the act, something which Trump has not done when threatening its usage on several occasions.

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Notable instances include suppressing the Arkansas National Guard from preventing racial integration at Little Rock Central High in the state capital, an event known as the Little Rock Nine, and restoring order in United States Virgin Islands after Hurricane Hugo.

It was last used in 1992, following riots in Los Angeles after the acquittal of policemen who assaulted Rodney King.

This isn't the first time Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, with the US leader threatening its usage following ICE riots in Los Angeles, deploying troops along the southern US border and using the act in several Democrat run cities.

This isn't the first time Trump has threatened to use the law (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump's threats to use the act will do little to ease tensions, with the State of Minnesota confirming that it would be suing the Trump administration in an attempt to prevent further ICE raids in the state, according to the BBC.

Meanwhile, six federal prosecutors in Minnesota have also resigned after the Justice Department decided against pursuing a civil rights probe into the death of Renee Good.