Donald Trump has stated he would “certainly” consider utilizing a law from 1807 in response to ongoing protests in Los Angeles.
Civil unrest has been sparked in Los Angeles following arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in regions with large Latino communities. Upon his return to the White House, Trump vowed to intensify efforts against illegal immigration.
Over the weekend, protests ensued, prompting President Trump to deploy National Guard troops to help calm the situation.
Although the demonstrations began peacefully, incidents of cars being set on fire have occurred, and numerous arrests have been made.
On Saturday, June 7, Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area.
“If Governor Gavin Newscum [sic], of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!” Trump expressed on Truth Social.
In response to the deployment of the National Guard, California Governor Gavin Newsom commented on X: “I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command. We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved.”
On Monday evening, June 9, Trump ordered an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, with the Pentagon also calling up 700 marines for support.
However, Trump has indicated he is considering invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to address the unrest in Los Angeles.
This particular law permits the president to deploy active-duty military forces to carry out law enforcement activities within the United States.
When addressing the press on Tuesday, June 10, Trump stated: “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see.”
The current troop deployment is not under the Insurrection Act but is instead covered by a similar federal law known as Title 10.
The Insurrection Act, which is seldom used, is written in broad terms, granting presidents considerable discretion regarding its deployment and scope.
The law has a history of being invoked, including by President Ulysses S. Grant to combat Ku Klux Klan violence after the Civil War.
In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the act to ensure the U.S. Army could escort African-American students to a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, following resistance from the state’s governor to a federal desegregation order.
The act was also invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which erupted after the acquittal of four police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, an African-American man.