What is the Insurrection Act, the law at the center of the debate over Trump deploying the National Guard?

This story was originally published in October 2025. In January 2026, President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota over widespread protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The unrest comes after two shootings involving ICE officers in Minneapolis, one of which resulted in the death of 37-year-old Renee Good, within a week. To read our latest coverage surrounding the events in Minneapolis, click here. To learn more about the Insurrection Act, read below.

As blue cities push back on President Donald Trump’s tactic of deploying the National Guard to fight crime, the Trump administration has floated the idea of using the Insurrection Act to justify sending federal troops to cities.

“I’d do it if it was necessary. So far, it hasn’t been necessary,