Insurrection Act of 1807: The exceeding power Trump may soon hold.

Have you recently checked the news and noticed the immense movement of armed forces?

Well, the Insurrection Act of 1807 is a U.S. federal law that gives the president the power to deploy the U.S. military or federalize the National Guard to suppress civil insurrection and rebellion.

Let's begin with the word insurrection. What does it mean? Whilst the word itself isn't defined by federal law, it is generally understood to refer to a violent uprising and organized resistance against the government and its regulations. It is stated, "Insurrection often involves acts intended to overthrow, disrupt, or challenge the authority of the United States or impede the enforcement of federal laws." (Headquarters, V. N. (2021). Eisner Gorin LLP.)

This act has often been invoked to obliterate labor strikes and to end protest movements. This act has been invoked multiple times, some of which include the following years;

• 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln

• 1957 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower

• 1960s - John F Kennedy

• 1992 - George H.W. Bush

Now you may be wondering, "How is this connected to our current government?" President Trump has recently shown a great interest in invoking this act. His escalating efforts to dispatch federalized troops to cities have come to everyone's attention.

There have been 2 previous attempts by President Trump to invoke this act. The first was during his first presidential term in 2020, when he considered invoking this act during the George Floyd protests. Secondly, in 2025, "Trump again said he was mulling the use of the Insurrection Act after a federal judge blocked him from sending National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, which the president argues is overrun by left-wing "domestic terrorists" (Faguy, 2025).

There have been many people standing up to these attempts, one of which stated, "If there's a bad faith invocation of the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to go beat up anti-ICE protesters, there should be a general strike in the United States," - Kevin Carroll

In conclusion, President Trump is considering invoking the 19th-century law against democratic cities soon.

INSURRECTION ACT OF 1807: 

The exceeding power Trump may soon hold.

(October 2025)     by Allison Brizuela