Key Facts

• Donald Trump, who is the president, declared an emergency at the United States' southern border where they share a line with Mexico.
• He is thinking of using an old C.E. 1807 law called the Insurrection Act for some immigration matters.
• This 1807 law lets the president use soldiers, just like the National Guard, to help keep the peace in America.
• The National Guard is a part of the US military that usually helps out during disasters and emergencies inside the U.S.; they could now help with immigration issues.
• This old law gives Trump a lot of freedom to decide when and how to use the soldiers at home.
• Trump wants to use this law because he's been saying that the situation at the southern border is a big emergency.
• Since he's been president, Trump has worked hard to stop illegal immigration, which is when people enter the U.S. without the right papers.
• This law has been used a few times before, like when there were big riots in the city of Los Angeles in 1992, and when President Eisenhower had to protect black students going to school during a time when people were fighting over race issues.
• One important thing to remember is that the U.S. government has always tried to avoid using soldiers at home unless it's really necessary.