Examples of recent national emergencies declared by US presidents
Executive summary
The United States has seen several high-profile national emergencies in recent years — from the COVID-19 pandemic declaration in 2020 to repeated southern‑border proclamations and long‑running, statutory emergencies that predate modern practice — and presidents from both parties have used the National Emergencies Act and related statutes to unlock specific powers [1] [2] [3]. Critics and courts have pushed back at times, arguing that some declarations stretch statutory text or are being used to achieve policy goals Congress would not approve [4] [5] [6].
1. COVID‑19: a public‑health emergency that became a national emergency
On March 13, 2020 the President invoked the National Emergencies Act to declare a national emergency concerning the COVID‑19 pandemic, a step that augmented other federal responses begun by HHS and invoked authorities such as Section 1135 of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare/Medicaid waivers and regulatory flexibility [1] [2]. That proclamation worked alongside a January 31, 2020 HHS public‑health emergency and an executive invocation of the Defense Production Act to accelerate medical supplies, illustrating how multiple emergency authorities can operate in parallel [2] [1].
2. Southern‑border emergencies: repeated declarations and military authorizations
Presidents have used national‑emergency proclamations to address immigration and border security; notably, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border in 2019 and again issued a proclamation in January 2025 invoking authority to require use of the Armed Forces under Title 10, section 12302, and to mobilize reserve forces [4] [7]. These uses have drawn litigation and state challenges over statutory scope — for example, legal disputes arose over whether funds and construction activities fit the military‑construction and emergency authorities invoked [4] [6].
3. The long tail: the 1979 Iran‑related emergency and dozens of active declarations
One of the oldest continuing national emergencies dates to November 1979, when the Carter administration froze Iranian government assets under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; presidents since have renewed that IEEPA‑based declaration, and scholars note the U.S. has been technically in a state of emergency continuously since 1979 [8] [3]. More broadly, data compiled by commentators and reference works show dozens of emergencies declared since the National Emergencies Act’s passage in 1976, with many remaining in effect and presidents routinely renewing them annually [3] [9].
4. How often and why presidents declare emergencies: trends and statistics
Analysts tracking patterns report that since 1990 presidents have increasingly used IEEPA and other non‑geographically limited authorities to address issues like sanctions, terrorism, and cyber threats, with an average of roughly 1.5 new IEEPA‑cited emergencies per year and a broader pattern of non‑geographic declarations in recent decades [10]. The Conference Board and CRS summaries show presidents issue executive instruments that activate a suite of preexisting statutory powers — a mechanism intentionally designed to permit rapid federal action but one that also raises questions about oversight [10] [11].
5. Pushback, oversight and legal limits: courts, Congress, and critics
Legal challenges and commentary emphasize that emergency declarations are “easy to declare and hard to stop,” because the repeal mechanisms Congress built were weakened by court rulings, and thus courts and state governments have sometimes been the main check on perceived overreach [5] [4]. Critics from think tanks and advocacy groups assert that presidents have used emergency statutes to pursue policy ends Congress rejected — a claim underscored by litigation and state lawsuits against particular proclamations, and by reporting that some recent administrations declared more emergencies in short spans than predecessors [6] [5].