What's the Insurrection Act — and will Trump use it to send the National Guard to Chicago?

Trump's Plan to Deploy National Guard to Chicago Under Fire as Courts Weigh In on Insurrection Act

President Donald Trump has floated the idea of invoking the Insurrection Act, a 218-year-old law that grants him broad powers to deploy troops within US borders to quell rebellions and enforce laws. However, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are fighting this move in court, arguing that there is no insurrection going on in Chicago.

The Insurrection Act gives the president the authority to activate troops without congressional approval in response to "unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States." The law has been used 29 times by presidents since its inception, but not in recent years. Trump's move would set a new precedent for using the military to enforce domestic laws.

Critics say that invoking the Insurrection Act would allow Trump to use his discretion on what constitutes a threat and deploy troops without oversight. "It's basically Trump saying, 'I'm the president. I get to decide what constitutes a threat, and I get to decide what to do about it,'" said Professor Dan Maurer, an expert in national security law.

Experts warn that this move would have far-reaching consequences for civil liberties and the separation of powers. "We are not a society that uses the military for domestic law enforcement," said Professor Steven Schwinn. "To invoke the Insurrection Act and to change that norm would be a substantial change in the norms and culture of the United States."

The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 bars the military from being used to enforce civilian laws, but Trump's lawyers argue that Section 12406 of US Code defers to the president on this issue. However, many see this as a thinly veiled attempt to bypass the law and use the military as a domestic police force.

As the courts weigh in on this matter, critics are watching closely to ensure that the Insurrection Act is not used to trample civil liberties and undermine the rule of law.

I was just thinking about that new food truck festival that's happening next month and I'm so down to try all those crazy burgers and fries Can you believe they're gonna have a special "Insurrection Act" themed burger? Like, what even is that? I bet it'll be super spicy. And omg have you seen the new sneakers dropped by Kanye? I'm lowkey tempted to cop them, but like, 500 bucks is just crazy

Come on, Trump wants to deploy troops to Chicago like it's a war zone? This whole thing smells like a power grab to me . I mean, there's no insurrection going on in Chicago, just some peaceful protests and unrest . And what about the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878? Isn't that supposed to prevent this kind of thing from happening? It's basically Trump saying he can do whatever he wants without Congress or anyone else telling him otherwise . I don't trust this at all, it sets a super bad precedent for future presidents to abuse their power . We need to stand up against this and make sure our civil liberties aren't trampled .

I don't get why the gov needs to do this... like, what's the point? The National Guard is already there for emergencies, but now they're trying to use it as a police force in Chicago? That's just gonna lead to more problems, you know? And another thing, if Trump's just gonna deploy troops without congress' approval, that's not how our system is supposed to work. It's like, one person making all these decisions and then just doing whatever they want... no checks and balances at all

And have you seen the Posse Comitatus Act? That thing was put in place for a reason! To keep the military out of domestic law enforcement. Trump's lawyers are trying to twist that, but it's not gonna fly. And if they do get away with it... well, that's just gonna set a bad precedent and erode civil liberties even further. It's like, we're already living in a world where the president can make all these executive orders without congress agreeing... what's next?

It's all about power, folks. Who gets to decide what constitutes an "insurrection" or not? And if Trump's just gonna use his discretion on it... that's not how democracy works. We need more transparency and accountability, not less

omg what is trump thinking he's literally trying to turn chicago into a military zone lol why does he need to deploy national guard when there's already police and courts in place?! this whole insurrection act thing sounds like a total power grab to me it's so suspicious that he's using this law to justify deploying troops without oversight...i don't trust him one bit i think the judges should really keep an eye on this one, we can't let trump just bypass laws and use the military as a domestic police force

I'm low-key freaked out about Trump's plan to deploy National Guard to Chicago . This is like something out of a dystopian movie, you know? The fact that he wants to use the Insurrection Act without Congress' approval is giving me major anxiety . I mean, we're talking about invoking a 218-year-old law that basically gives him carte blanche to deploy troops and enforce laws without oversight . That's just not right, you feel?

I'm also worried about the precedent this sets for future presidents . If Trump can do it, why can't other presidents too? It's like he's trying to create a domestic police force with the military . We're talking about civil liberties here, folks! The Posse Comitatus Act is in place for a reason .

I'm keeping my eyes on this court case and hoping that our judges can put a stop to this . I don't want to see Trump trying to use the military as a domestic police force . We need to protect our civil liberties, man!

Man... I'm getting flashbacks of that dystopian scene from "The Hunger Games" where they're all like "We have to protect our country from these rebels!" Meanwhile, we're living in a time where it's actually about Trump using the Insurrection Act to enforce his own laws and decide what's a threat. It's wild... I mean, back in '08 when Obama was elected, we thought we had progress, but now it feels like we're right back at square one.

I'm getting worried that this is gonna set a precedent for future presidents to just use their discretion and deploy troops without any oversight. Like, what's next? Them using drones to police our streets? It gives me the chills...

I'm literally freaking out about this... like what if Trump actually uses this power to deploy troops to Chicago? It's so extreme! I don't think he understands how it would affect people's lives, you know? My friends who live in Chicago are already stressed out about police brutality and systemic racism. Adding a military presence on top of that would be, like, totally disastrous.

And what about the Posse Comitatus Act? Isn't that law meant to prevent the military from getting involved in domestic law enforcement? It seems so clear-cut, but Trump's lawyers are saying it doesn't apply... I don't trust him at all. This whole thing just feels like a recipe for disaster.

As a student, it's hard not to see the parallels between this and our own school safety concerns. Like, what if our school had armed guards patrolling the hallways? It sounds crazy, but that's basically what Trump is proposing with the Insurrection Act. I'm just so scared for the future of our country...

Ugh, this is getting too scary for me ... Trump's idea of deploying National Guard to Chicago without a proper reason just feels like another power grab to me. I mean, what's next? The president gets to decide who's a threat to national security and who doesn't have to follow the law? It sounds like a setup for some serious abuses of power ... We can't let him turn us into a police state, man!

omg I'm lowkey freaking out about trump's plan to deploy troops to chicago like what even is this?!? we all know he's just trying to silence ppl who disagree with him, but invoking the insurrection act would be a whole new level of crazy it's not like there's some major insurrection going on in chicago, governor pritzker and attorney general raoul are totally right to fight this move in court

I'm gettin' a bad vibe from this whole thing ... Trump's tryin' to pull some fast ones here, thinkin' he can just deploy troops without congress even knowin' about it . I mean, what's next? Usin' the military to enforce traffic laws or somethin'? It's like somethin' outta a bad movie, you know?

And let's be real, folks, if Trump starts usin' the Insurrection Act like that, it's gonna set a terrible precedent for future presidents. We gotta stand up to this kind of thing, even if it's uncomfortable ... Can't just have one guy makin' all these decisions and expectin' everyone else to roll with it . It's like we're losin' sight of what's important here

Man... this Trump thing is like, really deep . I mean, he's trying to use some old law from 1877 to get his way, but what does that even say about our society? Like, we're all just gonna let him decide what's a threat and when to deploy troops without anyone checking in? That's like, totally opposite of how it's supposed to work .

And what really gets me is that nobody's talking about the real problem here: power and control. I mean, Trump's trying to use the military as a domestic police force, which sounds like something out of a dystopian novel . It's like, we're already living in a world where our rights are being slowly taken away, and now he wants to add the military to the mix? That's just, like, wrong on so many levels .

I don't know, man... sometimes I feel like we're all just sleepwalking through this whole thing. Like, we're too scared to speak out or question authority because we're afraid of being labeled as "oppositional" or whatever . But what's the point of having a democracy if we can't even have a conversation about our rights and freedoms?

like how he's already trying to break all the rules, now he wants to deploy troops to Chicago like it's a war zone meanwhile, governor pritzker and attorney general raoul are just doing their jobs, fighting for what's right... sounds like someone's getting ahead of themselves on this one

I'm gettin' major flashbacks to the 1960s when Nixon sent troops into Chicago during the Democratic National Convention riots It was a dark time, but at least it wasn't Trump thinkin' he can just use the Insurrection Act willy-nilly like some kinda dictator I mean, come on, how's this gonna end? We gotta make sure our courts don't let him get away with this and we preserve our civil liberties

This whole thing is just crazy... like, what's next? Is Trump going to start deploying troops to every protest or rally in the country? It feels like he's trying to make a power play here and it's super concerning.

I mean, think about it - this Insurrection Act law has only been used 29 times since it was created! That's not exactly a history of using it for good. And now Trump wants to change that norm? It's just too much.

And what really worries me is the Posse Comitatus Act. Like, isn't that basically meant to stop the military from getting involved in domestic law enforcement? So why would Trump's lawyers say Section 12406 of US Code defers to him on this issue?

I'm not saying I trust Trump completely, but come on - using the military as a domestic police force? That's just not what this country is about.