U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed threat to invoke the federal Insurrection Act to justify deploying military personnel to American cities has escalated tensions between the White House and Democratic-led states.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said he was considering using the centuries-old law to bypass legal restrictions and push through his plan to send National Guard troops into cities experiencing unrest — even over the objections of state and local leaders.
The Insurrection Act, enacted in 1807, allows a president to deploy the U.S. military domestically in limited circumstances, including to suppress civil disorder or rebellion. However, its use has long been viewed as politically and legally contentious.
The latest confrontation came as hundreds of National Guard troops from Texas prepared on Tuesday to patrol the streets of Chicago, one of the cities that has resisted federal intervention. The move has further strained relations between Trump’s camp and Democratic governors and mayors, many of whom argue that such actions amount to federal overreach.
Legal experts have warned that invoking the Insurrection Act could trigger a constitutional showdown over the limits of presidential authority and states’ rights.
Read Also: India Probes Adani for Alleged $9 Million Import Tax Evasion
The standoff underscores the growing political divide in the United States over the balance between federal power and local governance, particularly on matters of law enforcement and public order.
Further developments are expected as Democratic leaders prepare to challenge any such deployment in court.
