Minnesota’s standoff with the Trump administration amid its immigration crackdown in the state has made a political tinderbox of the Twin Cities, as devolving clashes between protesters and federal agents stoke fears of a bigger brewing conflict.  

Local officials have deemed the surge of immigration enforcement officers a “federal invasion,” doubling down in the courts and in public remarks as federal confrontations with Minnesota residents turned violent, then deadly.

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti brought the standoff to a cliff edge — and both President Trump and the state seem to have changed course.

But as the federal government goes toe-to-toe with Democratic state leaders, experts warn of a pressure cooker for civil war.

“The problem is, these crises are like street cars — there’s one coming along every five minutes,” said Steve Saideman, a professor at Canada’s Carleton University who studies civil-military relations. “And while we might be able to avoid severe violence once, twice, three times, at some point we’re gonna stop, okay, and something may happen.”