President Donald Trump has signed numerous executive orders, many of which were signed on his first day in office.

Among these orders, section 6b mentioned the Southern border and that the “situation” there needed to be evaluated for the Trump administration to decide what course of action to pursue. This all seems typical, except for the fact that these words were followed by nine even more alarming ones that we should all be aware of: “including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.”

But what does that mean? 

The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a series of laws that combine to give the president the power to deploy military forces on American soil. Yes, you read that right. It grants the president the authority to turn troops on American civilians.

Its intended purpose is to protect civil liberties and stop unlawful, out-of-control protests. The keyword here is “intended.” 

It’s important to note that the use of this act is not new. It has been used by presidents multiple times, with the most recent occurrence in 1992 when George H. W. Bush implemented it during the Los Angeles riots after police could not control the rioters. The riots lasted multiple days and resulted in cases of assault and arson.

The act lacks guidelines surrounding what the president can and cannot do if it is invoked. 

In theory, the president would understand the right to protest, and it would not be a problem, but based on his past actions, I fear Trump is not famous for understanding the rights of his opponents and their supporters. 

So why is Trump threatening to use it now?

There’s the reason he is claiming, and then there’s the reason he has hinted at. First, let’s unpack this issue at the southern border he keeps talking about. President Trump claims America is “under attack” from “cartels, criminal gangs, known terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers (and) unvetted military-age males from foreign adversaries,” so therefore he finds that the logical next step is to deploy armed forces on the border and give full control to Homeland Security and the armed forces, aka, the Insurrection Act of 1807. 

I see this claim as a display of the racism Trump has become famous for. 

I believe the acquisition of power that we see at the border will not stop there. 

While making a statement in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said, while being asked about the protests across the U.S., “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” 

Supporters of this view the use of the military on the Southern border view it as a “smart” decision, with their reasoning aligning with the Border Czar, Tom Homan, who views a shut border as a safer one due to the lower rates of drug and human trafficking that come along with it. It is framed in a way that makes Trump supporters feel safer knowing the border is shut.

It is possible to see the logic that they are following; however, with politicians telling their supporters incorrect information, such as Nikki Haley saying that the number of illegal immigrants coming into the US is millions more than in reality. 

It’s all framed in a way that makes Trump supporters feel safer knowing the border is shut. But we need to regularly question statements made by politicians to see how factual they truly are. 

The thing that everyone should be very aware of is that these troops don’t have to stay at the border. Remember, the guidelines of this act are not concrete. President Trump is many things, but one thing he is not is scared to violently and loudly use his political power to punish those who disagree with him. So, in theory, there’s nothing to stop him from taking the troops and dropping them in any city where people are protesting his decisions, whether or not his supporters live there.

We have seen this recently with his detention of permanent residents who were vocal in their support, like Mahmoud Khalil. We have also seen his use of military force on civilians when they exercised their right to protest in Portland in 2020. That is a strong example of what may come as of April 20, 2025, the date Trump gave to his advisors to decide whether or not the act should be invoked. 

I do not know whether or not the act will be invoked. But I advise all parties to be aware and be vigilant, because life might look a lot different in a week or two, and you’re going to want to be up to date on why that is.