In the days after Renee Nicole Good’s death, Minneapolis became a testing ground for how far federal power might reach when fear and anger collide. Thousands marched not only for answers about the shooting, but against what felt like an occupation: armored vehicles at intersections, immigration agents at protests, and the constant threat that a misstep could turn deadly. Officials in Washington debated the Insurrection Act on television while insisting it wasn’t needed “right now,” a phrase that sounded less like reassurance and more like a warning.

Legal experts reminded the country that such a move had been reserved for the gravest crises, yet the possibility hung in the air like tear gas. As courts weighed limits on federal tactics and local leaders demanded de‑escalation, Minneapolis stood at the crossroads between security and liberty, knowing that whatever happened next would echo far beyond its streets.