Subject: Assert Congressional Oversight on the Insurrection Act

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Dear [Senator Name, Senator Name, and Representative Name],

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I’m writing to express deep concern about the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act by President Trump under Executive Order 14159, which directed a 90-day review due April 20, 2025. As a constituent and a citizen committed to constitutional democracy, I urge you to assert Congress’s co-equal role in safeguarding our system of checks and balances.

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The Insurrection Act grants the President sweeping authority to deploy U.S. military forces domestically. Sections 252 and 253 of the Act allow for unilateral use of force without state consent—and without meaningful legislative or judicial oversight. Legal scholars across the political spectrum have warned that this authority is dangerously vague and ripe for abuse.

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Already, we are witnessing troubling signs: the militarization of the southern border, a new immigrant registration program with criminal penalties, and the use of national security powers to suppress peaceful dissent. Just this week, Mahmoud Khalil—a lawful permanent resident with no criminal charges—was ordered deported based solely on his public advocacy for Palestinian rights. The government cited his beliefs as a threat to foreign policy. As columnist Moustafa Bayoumi wrote, the case appears designed to discipline Americans into silence through fear and executive overreach (The Guardian, Apr. 12, 2025).

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If the Insurrection Act were to be invoked under these conditions, it could be used to suppress protests, override judicial enforcement, or even deploy troops against civilians—without public accountability.

This moment calls for principled leadership. I respectfully urge you to:

• Demand full transparency on the April 20 report evaluating invocation of the Insurrection Act.

• Assert congressional oversight of any executive action that authorizes domestic military force.

• Publicly oppose any unjustified or politically motivated use of this Act that could threaten civil liberties or democratic norms.

 

Our founders designed a government of separated powers for a reason. The power to define and respond to “insurrection” cannot rest with one branch alone—especially when the risk is the erosion of democratic self-governance itself.

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Please stand firmly in defense of constitutional checks and balances. Your leadership is urgently needed.

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With respect,
[Your Name]