1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent regarding a situation that poses immediate risk: reports that approximately 1,500 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers have been placed on standby for possible deployment against civilians in Minnesota following public statements indicating a willingness by Donald Trump (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0) to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to domestic protests. This represents a dangerous escalation toward using military force against Americans exercising constitutional rights. Congress must intervene now, before preparation becomes deployment and lives are put at risk. Credible reporting indicates these troops are being prepared despite the lack of state consent and over the objections of local and state officials. Even without a final order, the act of mobilizing forces signals intent and sharply increases the risk of irreversible harm. The domestic use of active-duty military forces for civilian protest activity is historically rare, legally perilous, and morally indefensible. History is clear that “just following orders” was not accepted as a defense at the Nuremberg Trials. Under both international law and U.S. military doctrine, unlawful orders must be refused when a moral and legal choice exists. Placing service members in that position is itself an abuse of power. I am asking you to take two immediate steps. First, please make a clear public statement opposing any invocation of the Insurrection Act for civilian protest activity and affirming that the U.S. military must not be used against Americans exercising constitutional rights. Second, please initiate or sign a joint congressional oversight letter to the White House and the Department of Defense demanding the administration’s legal justification, operational intent, and explicit limits on any domestic military deployment, including written assurances that active-duty troops will not be used for crowd control or civilian law enforcement. If Congress does not act before troops are deployed, it will lose a meaningful opportunity to prevent harm. The safety of civilians, the integrity of the armed forces, and the Constitution itself are at stake. I ask you to help this country avoid further harm and the loss of life, and I trust that you understand the gravity of this moment and the responsibility before Congress.