Can Trump really invoke the Insurrection Act? Let’s unpack.
Right now, Minnesota is burning with pain and confusion. Everyone’s seen the video of Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mom who was shot and killed by an ICE agent after an altercation just after dropping her kid off at school earlier that morning. Last night in Minneapolis, another federal agent shot a man in the leg during an attempted traffic stop amid protests and anger over the earlier killing. Tempers are high, people are grieving, and the city is tense.
As a result, President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law over 200 years old that could allow him to deploy U.S. troops in American cities.
What Is The Insurrection Act?
So what is this Insurrection Act everyone’s talking about? Simply put, it’s an old federal law from 1807 that gives the president the power to deploy the military within the United States in extreme circumstances — such as to suppress revolt, rebellion, or domestic violence that local authorities can’t handle. Typically, the U.S. military is not permitted to act as law enforcement, a restriction enforced by the Posse Comitatus Act. However, the Insurrection Act allows them to enforce federal law and even make arrests.
The history of the Insurrection Act shows just how serious it is. It’s been used at least 30 times in U.S. history, including by the president during the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, and most recently in 1992, when California asked for help after the Rodney King riots. That’s not everyday stuff — it’s reserved for moments when the government truly believes normal law enforcement isn’t enough.
Experts and civil liberties advocates are raising concerns about the deployment of the military on American streets in response to protests and community outrage. Given that people are already scared and suffering, this approach may represent a slippery slope that could ultimately harm everyday individuals more than it helps.
What Happens If Trump Invokes The Insurrection Act?
If Trump were to go through with invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, the impacts could be huge. Soldiers patrolling city streets alter the atmosphere of a place, making protests seem more dangerous than they are and causing civilians to feel like they are living in a war zone.
For Black communities already fighting for dignity and safety, that’s especially frightening. It raises questions about civil rights, about who gets protected and who gets policed, and about whether the government treats protest and pain as threats rather than cries for change. Experts also worry that once you open the door to domestic military deployment, it can be repeated elsewhere, even in the absence of clear emergencies.
Here’s the real deal: the Insurrection Act wasn’t meant to control crowds or punish communities. It was made for extreme breakdowns of law and order. Using federal agents to address protests about civilian shootings and political disagreements with city leadership is dangerous and may have lasting consequences in Minnesota.
Whether you’re watching from Minneapolis or browsing online from elsewhere, it’s important to recognize that this law grants significant authority to the president—an authority that impacts all of us during times like these.
SEE ALSO:
Donald Trump Invoking The Insurrection Act Is Bad For Black People
Understanding The First Amendment And Why We Need To Protect It
What Is The Insurrection Act?: Everything You Need To Know
was originally published on
newsone.com
