What to Know About the Insurrection Act of 1807

The last use of the legislation was in 1992, when President George H. W. Bush invoked it to send troops to Los Angeles to put down the Rodney King riots.

People look at the charred remains of a burned vehicle in the street following a night of protests in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, on June 9, 2025. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

As protests against federal immigration enforcement flared across Los Angeles over the weekend, questions have arisen about whether President Donald Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, and send active duty U.S. military members to quell the rioting and vandalism.

The law allows the president to deploy the National Guard or other U.S. military personnel to put down an uprising that interferes with the rights of the populace if “the constituted authorities of that state are unable, fail, or refuse” to do so.