Reports suggest that U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to issue new executive orders, possibly resembling martial law, on April 20. The move is expected to invoke the "Insurrection Act of 1807," a controversial law that empowers the President to deploy the military in times of civil unrest or violent uprisings.
The executive order, signed by Trump on January 20, required the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report within 90 days. This report must assess the situation at the U.S. southern border and recommend whether the Insurrection Act should be enacted. However, the final report has not yet been submitted to Trump, leading to speculation that the former president may soon enforce the law to assert control over the border.
The Insurrection Act of 1807 grants the President the authority to deploy the U.S. military and National Guard domestically, overriding the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits military involvement in law enforcement. As Commander-in-Chief, Trump would have the power to determine when and where armed forces should be deployed within the United States.
In January, Trump signed an executive order that led to the deployment of 1,500 active-duty service members along the southern border. He also expressed intentions to sign another order to detain up to 30,000 criminals at Guantanamo Bay, though there have been no updates on this since.
