Trump says no need to invoke Insurrection Act ‘right now’ amid anti-ICE unrest in Minnesota
President Donald Trump previously threatened to invoke the 1807 law amid anti-ICE unrest in Minneapolis
By Louis Casiano , Rachel Wolf Fox News
Published January 16, 2026 2:29pm EST
President Donald Trump on Friday said there wasn't a reason, in the present, to invoke the Insurrection Act, as agitators continue to clash with federal immigration authorities carrying out enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Trump was departing the White House when he was asked about the 1807 law, which he threatened to invoke earlier this week.
"I believe it was Bush, the elder Bush, he used it, I think 28 times," Trump told reporters. "It's been used a lot. And if I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful."
The law allows the president to deploy the military to suppress rebellions and enforce federal laws. It would grant Trump the authority to federalize the National Guard and deploy active duty forces to restore order. It would temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-no-need-invoke-insurrection-act-right-now-violent-anti-ice-protests-minnesota